Chaotic Relations - And Other Short Stories
by scrittore18
Summary: A collection of one and two shots showcasing multiple pairings from the 39 Clues. Some mainstream, some off the beaten path. Amy/Ian, Dan/Natalie, Irina/Alistair, Broderick/Cora, Jonah/Sinead, Amy/Hamilton, Dan/Reagan.
1. Chaotic Relations - Pt 1 (Amian)

**Ok, so this was supposed to be a one-shot, but like a lot of my writing, my brain just adds to the plot as I write and think of things and then my 3,000 - 5,000 word estimated story somehow turns into a complex 10,000 word one. *Sweats***

 **AND I would love to write about more pairings and scenarios, so if you want, drop me a ship/pairing in the reviews or a scene that you want to see played out and I will try my best to write it! Some couples are really hard for me to write but I will do almost anything for my reviewers and promise to at least try. :D**

 **But anyways, here is part one of "Chaotic Relations".**

* * *

 _Amy's POV_

"Camping? Cool!" Dan's face lit up as he looked at his sister.

Amy beamed proudly. "So you're on board? You'll help me convince everyone else?"

Dan wrinkled his nose at her. "Wait, everyone else? You mean like Nellie, right? I mean, we need someone who can cook."

"Uh, no." Amy bit her lip, averting her gaze. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But she plunged on anyways. "I was talking to the Holts and found out that they aren't doing anything for Spring break. Neither are the Starlings. So since that's almost everyone from the Clue Hunt I was thinking-"

Alarm lit Dan's eyes. "No! Not the Kabras! Please Amy; Natalie is still mad at me for sending her that exploding package in the mail."

Amy, who had opened her mouth to reply to Dan, paused. "Wait, you did _what?_ Dan!"

Now he was the one avoiding her eyes, standing up from where he was lounging on the bed before his sister had cornered him. "Well," He stated. "I think it will be fine with just the Holts and Starlings. The Kabras will just take all of the fun out of everything."

Amy sighed, "We're Madrigals Dan. It's our job to try to unite everyone. Besides, we need to be aligned in case, you know."

She didn't want to say the word _Vespers,_ but she knew that her brother caught her meaning when he winced again.

Letting out an exasperated breath, he stretched and walked over to his video console. "Do whatever you want. But don't come crying to me when the Cobras ruin everything with their snootiness and whining. And you can't make me be nice to them either."

"Fine." She relented, hoping that Dan wouldn't make things worse.

She turned to leave but halted when Dan asked, "Wait, what about Jonah?"

"He's busy." She replied, frowning in disappointment. "He's in the middle of a promotional tour for his new album."

"Oh. Well he would probably be just as bad as the snakes. He's used to being pampered too."

It was probably true, but Amy was tired of how Dan always thought the worst about people. Knowing that the next words that would come out of her mouth wouldn't be nice, she turned and left, dreading the phone call she was about to make.

* * *

 _Ian's POV_

It was a _fabulous_ day.

First of all, he had just received the news that the Vespers still were laying low (for now anyways).

Secondly, the stock market was looking good for the Kabras - not that they needed the money, but Ian _loved_ it when his strategies literally 'paid off'.

Thirdly, his annoying little sister was gone for the morning. While he loved Natalie, all she had done that week was complain about Daniel Cahill and how the exploding pie he sent her ruined her one-of-a-kind Prada dress. Ian had scoffed at her though, how had his very own sister been so naive to open up something from _Dan_ of all people _?_

Speaking of Dan Cahill...Ian's thoughts couldn't help but drift to the boy's older sister. _I wonder how Amy is doing. Wait, why does it matter how she is doing? I don't care._

Shaking the thought from his head, he was glad when his phone rang. He needed a distraction from the image of her jade green eyes and sweet smile. He froze though when he saw the name come up on his phone: _Incoming Call: Amy Cahill_

What? Was his phone a mind-reader or something? He blinked his eyes and shook his head again, but when he looked it still showed her name. Clearing his throat, he hit the 'answer' button and smoothly said, "Ian Kabra here", like he didn't know it was her or something.

"Ian?"

"That's what I said." He was proud of how calm his voice sounded, because hearing her soft voice made his heartbeat quicken for some strange reason.

 _I'm just thrown-off, that's why. Why is she calling me?_

"It's Amy. Um, how are you?"

"I'm doing well. Uh," He hated himself for sounding so hesitant, so he cleared his throat again and got right to the point. "Why are you calling me?"

"Wow, you don't have to sound so excited." Her voice was dry.

Disappointed at her reaction (he was expecting a _small_ stammer at least) he mellowed his tone and tried again. "You just don't normally call me. Is something wrong?"

"No." She said, and he heard her let out a sigh. "I'm calling to invite you to a family event."

"Family event?" He repeated reluctantly. The last time they had all been together hadn't been under ideal circumstances. In fact, it was a miracle that they all managed to safely return home unharmed. They _were_ Cahills after all.

As Amy explained the vacation - if you could even call it that - and who all was attending, his heart sunk further and further. Finally she paused, allowing him to get a word in.

"Natalie and I will have to decline at this time. But thank you for the invitation."

There was no response from the other line. "Amy?" He questioned, wondering if they had gotten disconnected somehow.

"Why?" She said, and it seemed to Ian that she had a bit of an attitude.

"Kabras don't do things like _camp."_ He scoffed at the word."Sorry. You might try and call me back if you change your mind and decide to go on a normal vacation."

"Wow. Dan called it alright." Her tone was dry.

Hating himself for falling for the bait when he _should_ hang up he asked warily, "What did Daniel say?"

" _Dan_ said that you and Natalie couldn't handle a simple camping trip. And that you two - along with Jonah - would ruin the entire trip. So maybe it's a good thing you aren't attending. Good-bye."

Ian's mouth dropped open as the sound of Amy ending the call hit his ear. Not only had she insulted him and Natalie by saying that they weren't able to handle something _and_ compared them to their annoying and spoiled rapper cousin but she had the audacity to hang up on him!

Pulling the phone back and angrily hitting the 'end' button (wishing for the first time that he had a flip phone so he could slam it shut) he immediately dialed his sister's number to inform her to pack her bags. It looked like for the first time ever, the Kabras were going - he shut his eyes briefly in pain at the thought - _CAMPING._

* * *

 _Amy's POV_

Breathing in the crisp air, she looked around the campground excitedly. "Isn't this beautiful?"

Not waiting for an answer she walked across the ground where their tents were set and peered through the thicket of trees along the edge of the clearing out over the water. She couldn't _wait_ to start exploring.

"Since when have you been into outdoor stuff?" Reagan asked from somewhere to her left in a mystified tone.

Dan answered for her, "Since the Clue Hunt ended. Amy's done all kinds of training and now likes that stuff I guess. Me? Well I've always been athletic."

Amy rolled her eyes at her brother's bragging tone but didn't comment, determined to get through the next few days at peace with everyone.

 _Of course, it's going to be like pulling teeth,_ she thought as she glanced behind her at the others who weren't so enthused.

The Starlings had beaten everyone to the camping spot, and much to Amy's dismay had already pulled out all kinds of gadgets to 'make their lives easier' as Ned had explained. While she understood both Ned and Ted's physical difficulties she couldn't hold her tongue when she noticed the huge solar panel sitting out by the Starling's tent - a oversized tent that Amy was pretty sure held some sort of expandable beds they had invented.

"What do you need that for? We won't get the full camping experience if we cheat!" She had asked in dismay, pointing to the panel.

But Sinead had only rolled her eyes, "Hey it's good to be prepared. Besides, the Kabras will have a _lot_ more crap than this. Maybe you should save your energy for them."

It was probably true so Amy clamped her lips together, thinking that it wasn't worth it. At least the Holts were roughing it. Glancing at them now and noting that they were totally at ease and the only ones besides her that looked halfway excited, she walked over to them.

"Hey guys!" She kept her voice upbeat, hoping that it would spill over on the Starlings, who were still in their chairs peering at their tablets.

"Hi Amy!" Madison answered happily, "What a great idea this was!"

Relieved that _someone_ seemed to appreciate her idea, she opened her mouth to reply when she heard an abnormal sound, almost like a heavy vehicle approaching the campsite.

Heart beating fast, she turned and gaped at the huge, luxurious RV pulling into the site. At first she could barely hear her own thoughts over the shock coursing through her. But then shock was replaced by anger as she realized that Ian hadn't even bothered to listen to her instructions.

 ** _-Flashback-_**

' _So you and Natalie changed your minds?' Amy was surprised but pleased, even as she lectured herself for feeling MORE pleased at the news than when everyone else had agreed._

' _Yes. However Natalie promised that if your brother tries anything else she will be leaving immediately. And we aren't staying in a tent.'_

 _Amy frowned. 'But that's what everyone else is doing. We agreed to leave luxury and technology behind for just the 3 days we will be here. Surely you and Natalie can survive staying in a tent for that long? Or are you going to let the rest of us best you?'_

 _She heard his huff through the phone and barely held back a smirk. His ego wouldn't allow him to step down from any challenge she threw him, and she reveled in the power she felt at knowing that._

' _Natalie and I can survive through anything and much better than the rest of you can. Until then.'_

 **-End Flashback-**

Gritting her teeth as the memory left her, she repeated to herself that it wouldn't help bond _anyone_ if she decided to kill Ian. So she waited with her arms folded and a steady glare on the door of the truck that was pulling the blasted thing.

Long, tanned legs were the first thing she saw though, and she realized that Natalie was the one sitting in the front seat. Amy felt another pang of alarm as it was clear that Natalie wasn't planning on 'roughing' it at all. At least not the way she was dressed.

Clad in a sleeveless blue and white chevron mini-dress paired with white wedges that only further enhanced her skin tone and her full makeup face in place, Natalie looked like she was going to a cocktail party instead of staying in the great outdoors.

Hearing a hiss of breath beside her, Amy turned her attention briefly to her brother but Dan was looking at a tree to his left, a blank look on his face. She eyed him for a few seconds, a little thrown-off that he wasn't making a smart remark or anything but more movement from the direction of the truck pulled her eyes back _just_ as Ian was stepping out.

 _He_ was at least wearing jeans but he had paired them with a dress shirt. Sighing she looked away before she could see his face and caught the smug expression of Sinead Starling.

 _See,_ the redhead mouthed when she noticed Amy's gaze.

Her sigh turned into a groan, and she decided to fully let her anger out.

" _What_ is _that?_ " She gestured towards the RV. Her tone must have come out exactly how she had thought it in her head, because she saw almost everyone in her vision flinch, even Ian.

Natalie simply raised her perfectly tweezed eyebrows at Amy though, not even seeming fazed as she replied, "Why this is where Ian and I will be staying while you all 'rough it' out here. Ian mentioned a tent but I simply wouldn't agree so we compromised."

Dan found his voice, saying in a strangled voice, " _That_ is compromise? Wow you are way too much princess."

"Don't even start with me Daniel!" The change in Natalie's tone surprised Amy and she gaped at her, but the British girl was turning blazing eyes on her brother. "And just to make you aware, I absolutely will not put up with your immaturity this week, which is _why_ I made sure are plenty security measures in place on our recreational vehicle."

At that, she whirled and flounced to the front door of the RV, slamming the door as they all stood staring at her display of anger.

"Well," Hamilton spoke up, "I would say that the pie wasn't one of your better ideas Dan. Now she's going to be mad all week."

Dan rolled his eyes but Amy caught the flash of uneasiness on his face.

 _Good. Maybe he'll be on his best behavior._

Her thoughts were cut off by Ian's figure approaching her. Bracing herself and making her eyes steely, she glared over at him.

The smile that was on his face froze but he managed to somehow find it again. His dark eyes cautious, he simply said, "Amy, it's good to see you again."

Trying not to be affected by his presence _or_ his cologne - which was overpowering but not in a good way - she lifted her chin as he approached. "Ian."

"Well aren't we polite." He said, turning his attention from her to Dan. "Hello Daniel. I trust that you and Natalie will try to get along the next three days for the rest of the group's sanity?"

Dan scoffed, " _I'm_ not the one holding a grudge." He pointed out as he turned to walk back to the tent he was sharing with Hamilton. "Maybe you should talk to _her._ "

At that he disappeared inside much like Natalie had; only Amy was wondering what in the world he was planning to do in the small tent.

"Well, this is already turning out to be a blast." Sinead stood up and stretched, but instead of retreating too she walked right up to Ian. "That was a smart idea, bringing at RV to hide out in. Kind of cowardly though, don't you think?"

He glared at her, and Amy noticed that it made his eyes even darker than they already were. Blinking at the thought that went through her brain that the look was _attractive_ on him she quickly looked over at the Holt girls, who hadn't said much.

But that's because they weren't there. Turning to Hamilton, she asked, "Where are your sisters?"

"Oh," He gestured down towards the water where Amy had been looking at earlier, "They went down there once they noticed how mad Natalie was. I don't think they wanted to be in the middle of a war."

"I'm going to find them." She stated, already turning in that direction and trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

Maybe the space would give her time to calm down _and_ \- she grimaced over at Ian and Sinead who were still staring each other down - put her back in the frame of mind to try to unite everyone.

* * *

 _Ian's POV_

Ian breathed a sigh of relief as he sank into the plush cushion of his chair by the fire. Then his nose wrinkled as smoke hit his face.

Glancing at the Ted, who was seated on a log to his right, he asked, "Isn't there something you can invent that will redirect this blasted smoke _off_ of me? It will be near impossible to get this out of my clothes later."

"We already have something like that. It's in our tent." Ted started to get up but a sharp voice halted him.

"SIT."

Blanching, Ted sank back onto the log, shooting Ian an apologetic look. Biting his lip to keep the complaint back, Ian chanced a glance at Amy, wondering if she was still angry over earlier.

 _Yes, I would say that she is._ He took in her stormy eyes and hard features. _But it was really all Dan's fault. And she wasn't the only victim of his stupidity._

Amy had mentioned hiking earlier that afternoon, and after much grumbling and whining the Kabras had finally joined their 'overly-enthusiastic' cousins in trampling around the woods like they were hobos or something.

It hadn't been a very good hike. The Holts ended up way ahead, sending rocks down on everyone because of the way they were scrambling, Natalie had tried and failed to trip Dan climbing up a rock wall - much to Amy's dismay - and the Starlings had disappeared for a few seconds, only to reappear on the top of the mountains with the Holts (probably due to some invention they had snuck along in their backpacks). Amy, frustrated at them, had swung her arms around in irritation just in time to meet those of her brother's, who had a container of water aimed and ready at Natalie, who was tentatively trying to step over a bush in her now-dirty wedges. The result hadn't been good, knocking water all over Ian and Amy instead and sending Dan into howls of laughter.

Needless to say the hike had ended there, with Amy seeming to be angry with everyone, including him.

"Amy, can you hand me a roasting stick?" Dan asked from his place beside Ted, bringing Ian back to the present.

Ian had no idea _why_ they were choosing to sit on a dirty piece of tree when there were plenty of chairs but he decided to hold his tongue, wincing again as smoke stung his eyes.

"I would have to get up to get one!" Amy exclaimed, apparently still holding a grudge with the way she snapped it out at him. "Natalie's a lot closer, ask her."

Dan was already standing up, making a face. "It's ok, I'm getting up."

Ian glanced over at his sister, wondering if something _else_ had happened in his absence earlier while he was changing his clothes but she wasn't even sparing Dan a glance, glaring in to the fire like she was having the same issues with it like he was. Which was ridiculous, the guys were the ones sitting in the path of the smoke.

Then he noticed something strange. Natalie looked up and directly at Sinead, giving her a meaningful look and a quick nod.

He moved his gaze to Sinead but the redhead was standing up and stretching, not even seeming to notice his sister's gesture. She looked over at her triplet brothers and stated, "I'm going to grab something from the tent. Do you two need anything?"

Ian opened his mouth to request whatever it was Ted mentioned earlier, but a sharp stare from Amy halted him. Closing his mouth back, he wondered at the exchange between Sinead and Natalie.

 _What is that all about?_ He wondered. _I haven't even seen the two of them speak to each other the entire day we've been here._

But then smoke hitting him cut off his thoughts and he quickly rose from his chair, trying to be graceful. "So what kind of food are you all eating?"

"Hot dogs." Amy answered shortly. "What else would we be holding on sticks over a campfire?"

Not sure if this was a trick question or not, Ian shrugged his shoulders, "Lobster? I don't know, I've never camped before."

Hamilton, who was standing by the picnic table holding the food and drinks, shot him a sympathetic look. "Man that sucks."

 _Not really._ Ian thought, but decided to appease Amy and try out the hot dog. It couldn't be too terrible, right?

But it was. Fifteen minutes later, after he had finally managed to roast the third hot dog he had put on the stick and put the thing in his mouth, he realized just how awful it was.

Choking, he reached under his flimsy paper plate for a napkin and spit it out. Then, realizing how horrible his manners were, he glanced around the fire quickly. Madison was laughing at him, but besides that and an eye roll from Natalie no one seemed to have noticed. Delicately, he replaced the bite of pig slop - wrapped in the napkin of course - back onto the plate and grimaced over at his sister.

"We have food in the RV right?" He made sure he asked this question too low for anyone else to hear him. Even though Natalie had chosen to sit far away from the other girls on that side, he still didn't trust the others not to eavesdrop.

"The place where I'm about to go spend the rest of the evening?" Natalie replied, not looking at him but across the fire at Dan, who was smirking at her. "Yes."

Ian sighed loudly. " _Now_ what did Daniel do?"

"Besides trying to throw water on me today? Nothing so far, but I can't stand the look he keeps giving me, like he's planning something."

"Natalie." He tried to keep his voice patient. "You do know that reacting like you do just adds fuel to his fire right? Why don't you simply ignore him?"

Her brown eyes flashed to his, "Ignore him? I can't let him win! Really Ian, you of all people should understand."

He started to open his mouth but her last sentence threw him off. "What do you mean, 'me of all people'?"

"You and Amy. I know you have feelings for her Ian, but you can't let her know so you act all snooty and like you're better than her. Pranking may not be the way you play the game but-"

"What?" As the horrifying words hit Ian, _'I know you have feelings for her'_ he thought he might be sick.

Trying to redirect his thoughts he suddenly registered the rest of her words. Scooting in close to her and lowering his lips to her ear he hissed, "Wait a minute. You like Dan? Like _that_?"

His sister jerked her head away, raising her voice, "What? No, of course not! That's absurd!"

The entire group around the fire - who had been talking quietly - now turned to stare at the sibling duo.

Clearing her throat, Natalie dropped her voice down to a whisper and leaned back in. "That's not what I meant. _You_ like Amy but you have your Lucian heritage at stake. I detest Daniel and due to our Lucian heritage I can't let him best me."

But as Ian watched his sister lean back in her chair, adjusting her clothes as she shot Dan an arrogant look, he wasn't sure if he believed her or not.

And then what she said about him and Amy...he stole a look at the brunette now and noticed how close she was leaning to Hamilton. Sure, she was just showing him something on some sort of weird camping equipment but it was enough to make the sick feeling inside of him return.

 _Is Natalie right? Do I like Amy? I mean, the whole Clue Hunt I couldn't stop thinking about her but I've gotten better since then._

But Ian knew that was a lie as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He hadn't gotten _over_ his feelings for Amy at all, the distance had simply assisted him in pushing them away But here in person, close to her, the attraction had come back full-force.

Like earlier. He now let his mind replay the scene with the water. Even as anger had taken over him as the cold liquid hit him, he couldn't help but let his gaze rake over Amy, taking in her angry expression, wet clothes (that he tried not to let his eyes linger over), and a strange feeling had hit him, the feeling of wanting to pull her to him and kiss her.

He realized now though that he had pushed the thought down the second it had hit, not even letting it register in his brain. And it had been a natural reaction because he had pushed many, _many_ , thoughts like that down before.

 _So what are you going to do about it now that you can't deny it?_ His mind screamed at him. _Are you going to do what Natalie is doing and turn your nose up and pretend that you're a better person than her, like she's beneath your status?_

He winced at the thought, already knowing that it also was a lie. Amy had already proven over and over again that she had a lot more integrity than he did.

Voices raised in argument caught his attention and he looked across the fire to see what was going on. When he couldn't make anything out of it though, he raised his voice and boomed, " _What_ is all of the racket about? Your voices are hurting my eardrums."

"Technically, our voices aren't high pitched enough or have exposed your ear to enough vibrations-" Ted was talking, but Ian was already tired of listening.

"Never mind all of that, can someone just please answer my question?"

"We're arguing about what to do tomorrow." Reagan supplied. "Amy wants us to go fishing, but hardly anyone wants to."

Ian looked over at Amy, who had her arms crossed in front of her and a defiant look on her face.

"I wouldn't _mind_ doing something else, but no one wants to do the same thing!" She said, and he could tell by her voice that for some reason this was unacceptable.

"I don't see what the big deal is." Sinead put in, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms behind her head. "We hung out together today and we all know what a disaster _that_ was."

Ian winced, thinking back to the icy cold water that was dumped all over him. "Yes, I agree with you on that one."

But then he looked at Amy more closely and noticed that behind her mask of annoyance there was a glint of hurt in her eyes, like she was taking all of this a bit too personally. Groaning inwardly, he opened his mouth and forced the words out.

"But at the same time, I think that we need to spend time together too."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see his little sister staring at him in disbelief. Ignoring her look he went on, "How about we try one more time to do an activity together and if it doesn't work out we do our own thing for the last day of the trip?"

"That actually sounds like a great idea." Hamilton spoke up from beside Amy, giving Ian an approving look.

Ian was starting to warm up to the guy until Hamilton looked over at Amy and added in a voice that was _entirely_ too fond, "I'm in Ames."

 _Ames? He already has a nickname for her?_

Hating the feeling of jealousy that was churning in his stomach, he quickly turned his face to the fire as the others gave their reluctant agreement. He was so annoyed that he barely caught the two soft words that came from Amy, but when he heard them he had to fight to keep a smile from forming on his face, all jealousy fading.

"Thanks Ian."

* * *

 _Amy's POV_

Humming quietly, Amy finally allowed herself to sink into her sleeping bag to get some much needed rest.

After the day's events, she felt like she needed an entire day alone to recoup. She had been trying so hard to keep everyone from fighting and to keep the peace that it had emotionally drained her way before the hiking disaster even started. And then that, combined with the strange way Ian had acted just hours ago around the fire was enough to confuse the heck out of her.

 _What in the world is he up to? He was agreeing with Sinead that we should split up and then it was like he just flipped a switch and got everyone to side with me._

Frowning now, she thought back to the intent look on his face when stating that they needed more 'family time'. While she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, she had caught Natalie's shocked expression that had turned into an eye roll once everyone had agreed with him. What was that all about? And then after she had thanked him he hadn't responded or looked up at her, but she caught the corners of his mouth turning upward, like he was _smiling_ at her words.

 _But that's ridiculous. Actually, his whole behavior since he's been here has been ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean confusing._

Giving up on trying to understand him - at least for now - she rolled over and concentrated on getting some sleep. She had the feeling that she would need it.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think! I'm still writing part two but reviews help motivate me ;)**


	2. Chaotic Relations - Pt 2 (Amian)

**Here is part 2! I hope that everyone enjoys it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

* * *

 _Amy's POV_

It was screaming that woke her up. But it wasn't just a random scream, it was _Dan's_ scream.

Terror hit Amy and the first thing that flew to her mind was, _The fire. Dan's caught in the fire._

"Noooooo!" She screamed, jumping up straight out of her sleeping bag, disoriented but prepared to rush toward the sounds.

"Amy?" A sleepy and startled voice came from somewhere beside her. "What's going on?"

 _Wait, why is Madison here? She wasn't at our house that night._

And then it came to Amy. This wasn't the night of the fire; that had happened years ago. Blinking she rubbed her forehead and realized that Dan couldn't be heard anymore. But she _swore_ it was real screams that woke her up.

"Uh, just a bad dream, sorry." She explained, throwing on her clothes quickly. "I think I'm going to step out and get some air."

The sun was creeping up in the sky when Amy left the tent. Wincing as she made her way across the wet grass in only her flip-flops, she followed the sound of Dan's outraged voice. Only now she could hear what sounded like female laughter too.

 _This isn't going to be good. I hope that Natalie didn't-_

But her thoughts froze as she topped the small cliff by their camping area that overlooked the lake and looked down.

It looked like Natalie had gotten revenge alright. She could see her brother sitting on a mattress that was floating in the middle of the lake, screaming at two figures below.

The figures belonged to Natalie and Sinead, who were laughing so hard they were almost doubled over. As Amy started to descend the small slope she could hear Natalie's crisp voice say, "So Daniel, how does it feel to be bested by a Kabra?"

"I'm going to get you back for this!" He threatened, his face red and eyes flaming. "Now get me off of this darn thing!"

Amy drew closer but now started looking around for something to pull Dan out with that wouldn't deflate the mattress. As she approached Dan must have spotted her because he called out, "Amy! Thank goodness!"

The girls froze and whirled guiltily to face her at Dan's cry of relief. Well, Sinead looked guilty. Natalie only scowled at her, speaking before Amy could. "I don't even want to hear the lecture. He deserved it."

Biting back the remark she was going to make, Amy contemplated this. It was true that Dan _did_ deserve payback, but did it have to be right now? Couldn't it have been on the last morning when there wasn't a chance of retaliation?

"Fine," She agreed. "But it's not my fault if he does something to get revenge."

"Revenge?" The British girl scoffed. "Now we're even."

Overhearing that line, Dan hollered. "It would have been even if you would have dumped a pie on me. But pulling me out in the middle of the lake _and_ putting makeup all over me? Oh it's on Cobra!"

Makeup? Amy peered at her brother again and was stunned by the amount of makeup Sinead and Natalie had managed to put on his face. Bright, glittery, pink eyeshadow, heavy mascara, blush a horrid shade of blue, and bright orange lipstick.

She couldn't help it, laughter bubbled out of her before she could stop it. Hearing it, Dan's scowl darkened. "Traitor!"

"I'm sorry." Amy barely managed to get out over chuckles. "It's just, how in the world did you not feel all of that being put on?"

"That's a good question." Dan glared directly at Sinead. "I thought it was strange of you to bring me a drink last night when we were eating dinner. Do you have an explanation genius?"

Gaping, Amy turned to the redhead, who was staring back defiantly at her brother. "I have nothing to say to you. Except that maybe you should smile for the cameras!"

At that statement both she and Natalie burst out into laughter again. Groaning, Amy asked, although she had a feeling she knew the answer, "What do you mean by cameras?"

"Oh, just the cameras I spotted on my way down here to check on Dan." Sinead explained innocently, reaching up to swipe one from a tree. Ten feet to the left of her, Natalie was reaching for another.

"Get them Amy!" Dan called out.

But before Amy could blink Sinead ran to Natalie, snatched the camera, and took off up the hill.

Grinning, Natalie said in a sweet voice, "It looks like I must be going now too. Oh Amy? You might find something to help Daniel out with over there."

Following Natalie's pointed finger to a large rock on her right, Amy saw what the girl was referring to. It was some sort of grabbing device, almost like a grappling hook but with a non-pointy edge. Pressing her lips together she went for the device, hoping that she would be able to get Dan out without popping the air mattress.

She had just crouched on her knees and was concentrating on the edge of the mattress when a smooth voice came from behind her.

"Do you need assistance?"

Amy was proud of herself for keeping the hook steady _and_ her voice steady as she replied. "I think I've got it."

But Ian ignored her, crouching down beside her and removing the device from her hands. He then latched it onto the mattress and pulled Dan to the edge in one swift motion.

"Thanks. But I'm still going to murder your sister." Dan stated when he was safely on the bank. He gave Ian a fist bump as he purposely walked past, a strange look coupled with the heavy makeup.

Ian chuckled a little but when he met Amy's gaze the humor fled from his expression. "Hey are you ok?"

Having no idea what he could be talking about, she just blinked at him.

"I heard you screaming. That's what initially woke me up. Then I realized when I got outside that everyone was down here. What happened?"

"Oh." Biting her lip self-consciously, Amy looked away and wondered if she should tell him or not.

"You don't have to tell me. I was just concerned."

The softness of his voice caught her off-guard. She met his gaze and her heart leapt at his expression.

 _He looks like he really does care._

"I heard Dan screaming when I wasn't fully awake yet. I thought he was trapped in the fire." She swallowed and looked down, "You know-" but she couldn't go on, the words catching in her throat.

"The fire that my mother started that killed your parents." Ian said it as a statement. When Amy glanced back up she saw that his face was as blank as his tone had been.

"It wasn't your fault." She said automatically.

Ian didn't reply to that, but she thought she saw his body relax a little.

"So you rushed down here, only to find that it was a prank my sister pulled." He shook his head, humor lighting his eyes again. "While I admit that I'm proud of her for pulling it off and seeing your brother with makeup on is hilarious, I'm scared they're about to go into a full on prank war."

Amy stared at him, astonished that their thoughts were so similar. "I was just thinking the same thing."

She let out a sigh and looked at her hands, which were now dirty from getting Dan out. "I love my brother but I hate how he always tries to antagonize her. It's like he's still ten years old or something!"

Hearing the frustration in her own voice, she groaned. "I don't know what I was thinking, wanting us all to do something together like this. It's just been one thing after another!"

"Hey, I think it was a fabulous idea." Ian interjected quickly. Then he frowned, "Well, partly. I still think a nice condo in Hawaii would have worked out better. But still, the motive behind everything is admirable."

Amy looked at him and saw that he was serious, his amber-colored eyes darkening. Allowing a smile to creep across her face she impulsively reached over to touch his shoulder. "Thank you Ian. Not only for helping me just now but also for backing me up last night."

The smile he gave her in return made her so happy that instead of dropping her hand she let it linger, tightening her grip on him.

She was about to say something else when she caught his eyes falling down to look at her lips. Clamping her mouth shut as her heart started to pick up, she waited to see what he would do.

"Hey guys!" A chipper voice cut in.

Flinching, Amy withdrew her hand as both she and Ian turned to see who had interrupted them.

"Hamilton." Ian bit out, causing her to glance at him sharply.

His annoyed face made her pause though. If Ian had been about to kiss her, then it was actually kind of sweet that he was so put-out.

 _But had he been? And do you even want him to?_ Flashbacks of the Clue Hunt raced through Amy's mind, even as she conceded that Ian had changed a lot since then. _I'm still so attracted to him. But I'm not sure if I want to go through all of that again. What if he did kiss me and then started playing games like he did before?_

She mulled this over, and then realized that both boys were staring at her. "Sorry, what?"

Hamilton frowned at her in reply, "I just asked if you two were ready for breakfast. Dan's screaming woke everyone up and we don't know what food we're supposed to eat since you bought everything."

"Oh, yeah just whatever." Amy said, only partly listening to Hamilton, still distracted from her moment with Ian.

She looked back over at Ian but he was already starting to climb the small incline. "I need to shower and change again." He muttered, scowling down at his clothes. "I swear I'll need an entire new wardrobe after this trip."

Suddenly, Amy though that maybe it was a good idea Hamilton had ruined the moment. Ian almost sounded more concerned now regarding his clothes than he had about her earlier. "Quit being such a baby." She snapped.

Ignoring his pouty look, she advanced and passed him, shaking all thoughts of him and what could be from her mind.

* * *

 _Ian's POV_

It was an hour later when Ian emerged from the R.V. and joined the others. He thought that he had made pretty good time - all things considered - but the others must not have thought so. They all rolled their eyes when they spotted him.

"About time!" Ted said, sitting on a chair this time instead of a log.

Ian noted that the chair not only had a canopy but a net attached around it and a fan on the inside. He wondered how Ted had gotten away with that without Amy freaking out on him. But his glance around revealed that she was nowhere in sight.

"Um, where's Amy?" He asked, and then added in order for his question to not look suspicious. "I'm surprised she allowed you to have that."

"She went to go get the bait and fishing equipment. That's where Dan, Sinead, and Hamilton are too."

"Oh." Ian hadn't even noticed the others missing.

Sitting on a chair beside Madison - who was wolfing down waffles like she would never have the chance to eat again - he reflected on his 'moment' with Amy earlier.

Ian didn't know what had overtaken him, but when Amy touched him - even though it was an innocent touch on his shoulder - all he had wanted was to be closer to her. He hadn't even noticed where his gaze had fallen until Hamilton interrupted them. Had he really been about to kiss her? Ian thought that he had been, especially with what she said right before that.

' _Thank you Ian. Not only for helping me just now but also for backing me up last night.'_ She had said it sincerely, her jade eyes soft with gratitude as they stared into his.

 _Are her words that valuable to me? Or was it the combination of that with her touching me that made me want to pull her in my arms and never let her go?_ Then Ian realized what he just thought and grimaced. _I sound like an actor in a bad romance movie right now. But I can't help it; she brings out the worst in me._

Or the best. However he worded it, the fact remained that Ian was falling for Amy again, _hard._

His sister's voice broke into his thoughts, "Ian, are you hungry? Everyone made breakfast while you were changing."

Ian looked over and noticed with surprise that it looked like Natalie had actually eaten the food everyone else was. He was astonished further when he took in her outfit. Instead of a dress she was wearing jeans and sneakers - although they were extremely high priced ones - and she looked relaxed. She was leaning back in her chair and didn't even seem to notice the bugs flying around her.

"I suppose I could eat something." He muttered, shooting her a questioning look that she ignored. Sighing, curiosity won out and he asked, "Why are you dressed like that?"

"For the fishing activity of course." Natalie wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't want any of my other clothes to get dirty."

 _Well that makes a lot more sense. I thought maybe all of this 'outdoor' crap was rubbing off on her._

Frowning down at his ensemble - jeans also but a shirt that he actually liked - he wondered if he should change again. But a vehicle pulling up to the camping spot turned his attention away from himself.

It looked like the others were back with the equipment. Ian's focus immediately was on Amy as she stepped out of the car and approached them, carrying what looked like some sort of square box. She was dressed a lot more casual than he and his sister in cutoff shorts, a big t-shirt, and a baseball cap, but she pulled the look off.

 _All too well._ He thought as he tried to pull his attention away from her legs. _What's wrong with you? You see girls in bathing suits all of the time who show off way more skin than that._

But he couldn't help but take another peek at her as she set the stuff down and gave everyone a big grin.

"Are you guys ready?" She asked, a little too _happily_ for Ian's taste.

 _Eh, her enthusiasm is actually kind of cute._ _She's_ _kind of cute. And hot._

"I guess." The Starling boys stated, almost in unison. Madison and Reagan replied back in a much more chipper tone.

"Well I'm ready!" Hamilton said, and then added, "The morning is the best time of day for fishing."

Ian saw the way Amy smiled over at him almost proudly, so he quickly jumped in. "That's what I've heard too. And I've been looking forward to this all morning." He lied.

His sister shot him a scoffing look but the others just blinked at him in confusion.

"Right." Dan stated, but his look of confusion turned into suspicion as his eyes bored into Ian's.

Suddenly uncomfortable under his scrutiny, Ian stood and walked over to the picnic table. "I just need to eat first and I'll be ready."

"What have you been doing the past hour?" Amy frowned at him.

Not wanting to admit that it had taken him that long to get ready he lied again. "Oh, just connecting with nature."

Before anyone else that knew better could sell him out, he changed the subject. "So what kind of stuff did you buy?"

Dan took over and started rattling stuff off, but Ian promptly shut him out, annoyed. If he was going to be listening to this boring topic it could at _least_ be in Amy's voice. _She's the one I directed the comment to anyways. Geez, now I know why Natalie always gets so riled up._

Glancing at his sister, he noticed that she was focusing down on her cell phone, not paying Dan any attention either. _Maybe I'm wrong about thinking she likes him. He obviously just gets on her nerves and that's why she reacts so strongly._

Hurrying through his breakfast in order to shut down the conversation (which had somehow turned into the Starling's bragging about their inventions) he stretched and headed for the box Amy had set down.

"Amy," He politely said, after waiting for Ned to stop talking, "Where would you like for me to carry this?"

"I can carry it." She answered, barely looking up from the conversation, "You can help Hamilton though with the heavy stuff."

Grimacing to himself, he didn't allow his facial expression to change. "Of course. Whatever you need me to do."

That must have caught Amy's attention because - just like Dan had minutes ago - she stared at him suspiciously.

"Goodness Ian, since when have _you_ done manual labor?" Natalie jeered, but Dan cut her off.

"Speak for yourself princess. I haven't seen you lift a finger since you've been here."

"That's because I'm a _lady._ " Now her dark eyes glared into Dan's.

Instead of taunting her in response though, Dan just looked away, mumbling, "Whatever."

Natalie must have thought his behaviour was strange too, because his reaction seemed to catch her off-guard. She looked at him for a second and her facial expression almost softened with what looked to Ian like concern. But when she noticed everyone's stares she huffed and looked back down at her phone.

" _Anyways,_ as I was saying", Ned went on, "After I won an award for my discovery of solving Schrodinger Equation an alternative way, I went on to invent the 'Starling Equation', picking up two more awards-"

"Look, as fascinating as this subject is," Ian tried his best not to sound as bored as he felt, "Can we please just go fish?"

"I agree." Madison put in. When Ian looked over at her it looked like the blonde-haired girl was as interested in the topic as he was. Which happened to be not at all.

Ned looked offended, but pursed his lips together and didn't say anymore.

Sinead just yawned and retorted, "And you think fishing is more interesting than math equations? You all are pathetic."

Before anyone could comment Amy jumped in. "Ok, let's pack up and head down there!"

She turned to Ned, "I definitely want to hear more on this later. Maybe we can each talk tonight around the fire about something that interests us?"

Ian sighed, "Why not?"

He was trying to stay on Amy's good side but he couldn't help but mutter to Natalie, "Since listening to stories of hiking and science problems sounds like a blast."

She actually chuckled in response before standing up gracefully and starting for the lake. Halting on the top of the incline though, she turned and took his arm, hissing in his ear, "Watch my back, ok? I don't want Daniel to push me down the hill or anything."

Ian looked over his shoulder at Dan but the boy was picking up some poles and didn't seem like he was about to pull a prank.

"You're being paranoid." He whispered back but she didn't say anything in response.

Although he and Natalie headed the group, they somehow were the last ones to make it down to the lake.

 _But we are definitely the most put-together of the sibling groups._ Ian noted with satisfaction. _Now I just need to figure out how to get someone else to bait my hook without looking like a wimp._

* * *

 _Amy's POV_

Amy breathed a sigh of relief once everyone finally settled in - after arguing over the fishing poles, the bait, _and_ the areas that they wanted to fish in. But still, at least the group seemed fine at the moment.

Smiling tiredly at Sinead who was standing to her left, she kindly asked, "Are you having fun?"

Then she wanted to kick herself for the question. Sinead had done nothing but put down everyone and everything the entire trip. But much to Amy's astonishment, her red-headed cousin returned the smile.

"Oh yeah, I'm having a great time." She responded breezily. "There is nothing like the great outdoors."

"Nothing like the great outdoors, the great outdoors, the great out-" Dan started to sing from Amy's right side, before a sharp voice cut in.

"Please stop. You're scaring the fish away!" Reagan exclaimed, shooting him a dirty look.

"I believe that Daniel is scaring them plenty _without_ even opening his mouth." Natalie sneered from the other side of Sinead.

"Thanks for the compliment Nat." Was Dan's cheery response, causing everyone to stare at him in disbelief.

"Don't call me that!" Natalie said, eyes flashing in his direction.

"You call me Daniel all of the time, _princess._ So lay off." Dan replied.

"Ok, can everyone please _shut up?_ " This came from Madison, who was the furthest away from the group. "If I can hear you, so can the fish!"

 _Geez, the Holt's are really serious about this fishing stuff._ Amy thought. _I mean, I was just trying to think of something we could all do together but they're actually enjoying it._

While Amy liked the outdoors enough, she wasn't really into holding a pole for hours and listening to her cousin's bicker. _I just wish everyone would try to get along. Why is that so hard?_

"Can someone watch my pole?" Natalie suddenly spoke up. "I need to go use the facilities."

Amy looked over to see the girl wearing a bored look and wondered if she was just trying to find an excuse to leave. She couldn't help but feel annoyed; they had only been fishing fifteen minutes.

 _I guess I should be glad she's at least participating._ Amy thought. She opened her mouth to volunteer since Natalie had almost reached her spot when her brother beat her to it.

"Here, I'll hold it." Dan told her, looking over and giving her a sincere smile. To Amy's astonishment, there was no teasing or sarcasm in it.

Throwing him a glare, Natalie retorted in an overly polite voice, "No thank you Daniel. I don't _trust_ you."

Not saying anything, Sinead stepped up and took the pole from Natalie.

"Thanks Sinead." Was all Natalie said before she daintily made her way up the incline and back to the camping area.

Amy gave her brother a quick look again, trying to figure out what game he was playing but he was looking back at the water. From the angle she was standing and looking, she could see Ian with his pole too, frowning up at the sun.

He must have felt her gaze because he glanced at her and smiled.

Caught off-guard, Amy felt a blush start to form on her cheeks and hurriedly turned away. _Why are you blushing? He barely looked at you._

But as she stared unseeingly out over the lake, she remembered his glance earlier when she had exited the car. It was almost like he had checked her out, but it had been so quick that Amy thought she must had misinterpreted the look.

It was quiet for a few moments until Natalie returned. The brunette gave Sinead a smile as she took the pole from her. "Thank you again Sinead. It's nice to be able to _trust_ people around here."

"No problem." The other girl answered. "Oh, and Natalie?"

The brunette - who had now returned to her place - looked over with a quizzical look.

"I just have a tip for you. I noticed that your pole has a small button on the bottom. If you hit it while you cast it will go further."

Amy frowned at the words. _A button. What is she talking about? Wait a minute…_

But it was too late. Natalie had already positioned the pole before Amy could say anything. She could only watch in horror as tons of bait suddenly poured on the British girl. Screaming, Natalie tried to jump back but tripped, sending her sprawling on the ground.

 _What the-_ Amy thought, _where did the bait come from? And Sinead did this?_

But then she heard Dan's laughter from beside her and knew _who_ was behind it all.

"Dan!" She snapped, but another voice overpowered hers.

"What did you do to my sister?" Ian's voice boomed out.

He rushed over but hesitated in front of Natalie like he didn't know what to do.

"Help me up you idiot!" She yelled at him, humiliation coloring her voice.

"But you're covered in dirt and worms!" He answered.

"This is SO GREAT." Dan could barely speak through his laughter.

By this time, all of the other Cahill's had gathered around. Most of them were staring with mouths opened at Natalie, but a few were joining Dan in his mirth.

Amy finally snapped out of her shock and went over to help Natalie up. She winced as her hands got all messy but tried not to show it.

"You a-hole!" Natalie shot at Dan as soon as she was on her feet. "I don't know how that happened but I do know that it was your fault!"

"Hey I was way over there." He protested, pointing back at the spot he had been in.

But the girl just shook her head before whirling on Sinead. "I can't believe you helped him. You were supposed to be on _my_ side!"

The other girl gave her a mild look. "Hey, I'll work for whoever pays me. Besides, it livens things up."

"Livens things up?" Amy echoed, still stunned over what had just taken place.

She glanced around. Most everyone was still laughing or at least grinning. Natalie and Ian looked livid though, especially as the others started commenting.

"Wow Natalie, you look rough!" Reagan chortled.

"Just like a drowned rat, except you were swimming in fish bait!" Madison added with a laugh.

"How dare you two imbeciles insult my sister like that?" Ian snapped, glaring at them.

Hamilton jumped in to defend his sisters at those words, and Amy's head started spinning. On top of that, the Starling boys were congratulating Sinead for her handiwork. In response, Natalie started yelling threats at _them_ too.

"That's it! Everyone drop your poles and follow me!" Amy ordered, suddenly _pissed._

They all stopped and stared at her in surprise.

" _Now!_ "

She didn't wait but started up the incline, thoughts tunneling through her so quickly she wasn't even sure what to say. But she knew one thing, this all had gone on long enough.

Barely waiting until everyone gathered around the main area, she turned. She kept her voice calm, trying for a different angle than what she felt. "This all is ridiculous. We're _family._ We're supposed to care about each other."

Ted started to speak but she held her hand up. "I don't want to hear about the rivalry between our branches. I thought the clue hunt proved that we were better than that."

"Well your brother is a Madrigal." Natalie snapped out. "And he's the one who starts everything. So maybe you should talk to him about getting along."

Then she must have caught her reflection in the shiny RV across from her because she wailed, "I look horrendous! Daniel, how dare you cause another outfit of mine to be ruined?"

"You deserved it." He shot back. "Besides, what you did to me was worse."

"I beg to differ!" Natalie tried to cut in but Dan was on a roll.

"Looks like miss 'high and mighty' got brought back down with the rest of us. Just like your mother did in the end." Dan's tone was mocking, and Amy started at the harshness of his words. But he wasn't done. "You're not so perfect now are you?"

"You're right _Dan._ " Natalie bit out, obviously still angry. But Amy could see another emotion behind her almost-glassy eyes. "I'm not perfect! I've never been perfect, no matter how much I tried!"

Dan froze, shock replacing the mirth on his face as he stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak but she was already going on.

"I've never been good enough! And I don't need _you_ to tell me that. My _mother,_ who happens to be the person you just compared me to, has reminded me of that practically every day of my life!"

"Nat. I didn't mean it like that." Dan's voice was surprisingly soft but Natalie was already whirling around. But Amy swore she saw tears starting to pool in her eyes.

No one said anything as she retreated to her and Ian's RV and slammed the door, much like the prior day. Only this time there was a heavy silence that lingered after her departure.

Amy bit her lip as all notions of 'staying calm' were thrown out the window. Instead, rage started to overtake her again regarding _everything._ Glaring at her brother, who was staring after Natalie with a guilty look on his face, she unleashed it on him.

"Thanks a lot Dan!" She snapped out, not being able to help herself. He didn't even look at her, making her even angrier. "Now everything is ruined because you and Natalie's immaturity! Not to mention _you_ helping stir everything up." She directed this last bit at Sinead, who had been staring at the scene impassively.

The girl jerked her head over and met Amy's. "Me?" Sinead asked, scoffing. "You're the one that keeps trying to force us all to get along, which is most of the problem!"

Amy flinched, the words hitting her like a smack in the face.

"Well-" She started, but couldn't past the lump in her throat. Was Sinead right? Was all of this her fault? Feeling her own tears trying to well up in her eyes but fighting them off, she stepped backwards. She felt something rough hit her back though, halting her.

"Amy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Sinead said, actually sounding sincere. Amy glanced at her and caught the contrite expression on the redhead's face, but the words still hurt. And the worst thing was Amy felt like they were the truth.

"It's ok. I'm just going to-" Trailing again as the tears started to gather in her eyes - only this time she couldn't fight them off - she turned abruptly and walked through the trees.

Breaking into a run once she cleared several yards, her only focus was getting far, _far_ away from everyone.

 _I'm so_ _stupid_. She thought, finally halting after a couple of minutes of blind running. _Why did I even try? Sinead's right. I just made everything worse by forcing it._

"Amy?"

Wincing as her brain registered the voice, she didn't answer. _He can't know I'm crying. He's probably here to yell at me too and then to inform me that he and Natalie are leaving. And I don't blame him._

But Ian's voice was gentle as he asked, "Are you ok love?"

 _Love._

He hadn't called her that in ages. Taking a shaky breath and swiping at her face, she turned slowly. "I'm fine Ian."

His gaze was open, concern written all over his features. Amy's heart dropped as he stepped closer so she quickly asked, "Why are you here?"

She hadn't meant for it to sound so hard, but her tone didn't seem to deter him. He kept walking until he was standing just a few inches in front of her.

Gulping, she asked again, but this time made the question softer. "Why are you here? Honestly now isn't the time for a pep talk. Or to yell at me."

He frowned, making his face scrunch up. "I'm not here for either of those. You've been crying."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

She tried to turn her body back around but she felt his hands on her waist, halting her.

"Ian?" Her heartbeat was so loud she was sure that people ten miles away could hear it. Licking her lips (which had suddenly gone dry) she tried to move away.

But it was pointless. He was holding her there, and when she tried to shoot him a glare she found that she couldn't. And that was because his eyes were boring into hers.

 _His eyes are so intense, but so gentle too. How is that even possible?_

Ian's next words stunned her even further. "I _am_ worried Amy. And I'm worried because I care about you. Now-" A wry grin crossed his face, "we can do this the hard way or the easy way."

She still stared at him, unable to speak as he continued.

"The hard way is for you to pretend like you're fine until I convince you to tell me. The easy way would be for you to just tell me what's wrong now." He paused. "Even though I think I already know."

Amy felt a surge of annoyance rush through her. He expected her to just confess everything to him? Like he was a real friend and not someone who had manipulated her before?

Lifting her chin at him, she responded, "There's no way I'm going to tell you _anything._ "

To her astonishment, he _smiled._ "Ok, so the hard way."

"What's the hard-"

But she was cut off by the sudden descent of his mouth on hers. Stunned, she didn't react at first but then her brain caught up. _Ian's kissing you. He's KISSING you._

She couldn't help herself, she responded as soon as it registered. He tasted so _good_ , and he was an amazing kisser. Just as good as she had imagined. Yes, he had kissed her during the Clue Hunt, but that had been a peck compared to _this._

Amy heard a moan, and realized with a jolt that it had come from her own mouth. She was further alarmed to realize that somehow, while she was moaning, Ian had managed to get his tongue into her mouth. Now she really felt like she was drowning.

 _Not good. This isn't good._ She thought, as the other part of her brain kicked in. _This is heavenly._

But almost as quickly as he had started kissing her, Ian pulled away. Amy wanted to protest but found that once again she couldn't find her voice.

"Now," Ian's breathing was off a little bit, "What's wrong?"

 _What is he talking about? And what the heck just happened?_

And then it hit her and she stiffened. Ian hadn't done that because of any feelings he felt for her. Instead, he had once again been trying to trick her.

"Nice try." She sneered, even as the tears came back to her eyes.

"Wait, what? Amy-"

"Quit pretending like you didn't plan that." She choked out. "Trying to manipulate me again? Well it won't work this time."

"Amy." His tone was hard. " _What_ in the world are you talking about? I'm not trying to trick you into telling me."

"Then why did you kiss me just now? What other reason-"

"I kissed you because I couldn't help myself!" Ian blurted, his eyes all of a sudden angry. "I kissed you because I've _wanted_ to ever since I arrived here! I did it because I have feelings for you, ok?"

"What?!"

Amy felt shock course through her at his words. She stared at him and saw him register his own confession and the look of panic that crossed his face.

"Uh…" He trailed. "I wasn't supposed to say that out loud. But now that the truth is out there, is there any chance you might feel the same way?"

Amy peered at him and saw the honesty glowing in his amber eyes. Gulping, she decided to be honest too and softly responded, "I have feelings for you too Ian. But I'm not sure if it would work between us."

He frowned, even as his hands reached over and clasped hers. "Why not?"

Flustered at the gentle touch, she managed to say, "We live so far apart, for one. And then our worlds are so different. Plus everything in our past…"

She trailed when one of his hands dropped hers and reached to touch her eyebrow.

"The distance would be hard, but we could make it work. You never know until we give it a shot. And Amy," He looked down suddenly, "I really am sorry for what happened on the Clue Hunt. I know that words don't make up for it, but if you give me a chance I'll prove to you that I've changed."

His words both melted her heart and gave her courage somehow. Inhaling a deep breath she answered, "Ok. I agree to give this a try. But you can't be mad at me for being cautious."

"Of course not." He responded. "We can take it as slow as you need to."

They stood there for a few minutes, him now back to holding both of her hands. And then he spoke, "I kissed you more to coax you into telling me. Not to manipulate you. But I still would like to try to make you feel better."

She grinned impishly up at him. "You already have. I was just upset because I felt like all of that back there was my fault."

Amy would have gone on, but Ian was shaking his head.

"It definitely wasn't. My sister and your brother have their own issues to work out, but it wasn't anything you could have prevented. In fact, I think you may have succeeded in uniting everyone more than you think."

"Really?" She asked shyly, his words making her feel warm all over.

"Yes. Every person getting along is almost impossible. But for the most part all of us have been cordial. And I even think some are considering each other as friends." Ian concluded, and then pulled her closer into a hug. "Good job."

Amy let his words wash over her, and let out a content sigh. So what if he was exaggerating to make her feel better? Somehow, in this moment, all of her efforts were worth it.

 _The last 24 hours have been chaotic alright. But I almost wouldn't have it any other way._

Then she pulled back and looped her arm through his. "Come on; let's go show the others how to get along."

He grinned back at her. "Sounds like a plan to me."

And as they walked back to the others hand and hand, another thought hit Amy. But this one was of horror.

 _The hand that he is holding is still covered in FISH BAIT._

But that thought was soon followed by another one.

 _He really DOES have feelings for me. Because he didn't freak out or even seem to notice. But he probably will flip later._

Ian must have seen the mirth on her face, because he asked suddenly, "What is so amusing?"

Thinking that it would be more fun to ride this one out, she put on her best innocent voice. "Nothing _love_."

He sighed, "I like the way you say that."

And then he froze. "Uh, Amy? _What_ pray tell, is all over your hand?!"

 _Yes, fun indeed._

* * *

 **Aaaaand there it is! My first Amian!**

 **I'm thinking about following up with Natan...what do y'all think? Should I leave them hanging or force them to resolve their issues?**

 **Also, don't forget I'm willing to write about any couple that gets requested! I love challenges. ;)**

 **Peace out homies!**


	3. A Truce of Sorts (Natan)

**Ok, so here is the follow-up piece to 'Chaotic Relations'.**

 **Thanks to everyone for reviewing AND for your requests! I'm really excited to write and boy did y'all give me some challenges...which I love!**

 **Coming up: Alistair/Irina, Amian, Broderick/Cora (And I'll prob have to throw in a liiiitle Jonead for myself hehe)**

 **With the holidays I'm not sure if I'll have any of these posted or even written before January... but hey it's something to look forward to right? I just feel like I need to take a break...I never knew what hard work writing was! But to those reading my other story, that one is already written all of the way so I'll still be posting frequently.**

* * *

 _ **A Truce of Sorts** _

Natalie _still_ wasn't speaking to him. It had been hours before she had reappeared from the RV that she disappeared into after their fight. Like normal, she was spotless, poised, and of course perfect - though Dan grimaced at the word.

The brunette acted like nothing even happened and had resumed conversing with everyone. Everyone, that is, but _him._ And it was killing him.

Dan regretted his words to her after the fishing prank. While she sort of deserved the prank, she hadn't deserved what he said.

 _I can't believe that I was so stupid and brought up her mother._

He chanced a peek at Natalie now. She was sitting in her cushioned chair and looked relaxed, but her eyes were blank and her moves robotic. No one else probably caught it but him. And that was because Dan noticed practically _everything_ when it came to Natalie.

He tried not to. I mean, he was supposed to hate her right? But she made it impossible to hate.

Yes, she was way too stuck up for her own good. She cared entirely too much about her image and looks, but Dan couldn't help but write a lot of that off to the way Isabel had influenced her. Besides, Natalie was a lot better than Isabel and he had to admit that she and Ian weren't nearly as bad as they had been on the clue hunt.

 _She's_ _not_ _her mother. And I can't believe that I actually made her feel that way._

Staring at the fire, he contemplated what move to make. Should he try to talk to her? To apologize for what he said? Or was giving her space right now and steering clear the best thing?

Dan hated to admit it, but he missed her. Sure, most of their conversing was fighting and insults hurled at each other. But still, he liked messing with Natalie. He liked getting a rise out of her and seeing her eyes shoot sparks at him. He liked _her._ But he never had vocalized or let on to that. He barely could admit it to himself.

 _I'm an idiot._ He berated himself again. _I probably just made her really hate me._

"Earth to Dan."

He blinked at the hand waving in front of him and looked up to see Amy frowning down at him.

"What?" He said it half-heartedly, not really caring about whatever she had to say. His sister had apparently forgiven him for causing the mess earlier and had been all smiles since returning hand in hand with Ian, but he was sure she would lecture him soon.

Dan had tried to be mad at her for being all mushy with 'the enemy' but was so distracted from Natalie's reaction that he couldn't muster enough emotion to. Instead, he had shut down and barely spoke to anyone all afternoon.

"I asked if you wanted to go with us into town." She repeated, an impatient note in her voice. "Almost everyone else is going."

"I'm good staying here."

He could feel her eyes studying him but he continued to ignore her, his mind going back to the look on Natalie's face right before she had retreated.

After a heavy sigh from his sister, a lot of shuffling around, and only one argument between Sinead and Ian, Dan was finally left in peace.

Glancing up, he saw that the only ones left beside him were Ned, Reagan, and Natalie. He was stunned that Natalie had actually chosen to stay after he had, but then figured she probably didn't care since she would just ignore him anyways.

Suddenly not being able to bear the silence, he stood up. "Does anyone want to go walk around? I'm going crazy sitting here."

"Nah, I'm planning on reconfiguring my laptop while it's quiet." Ned stated. "It's so hard to do with a lot of chaos."

Dan figured that was true, even though there had been minimal arguing since Amy had ran off and then rejoined everyone. Everyone seemed to be thrown-off by her and Ian's apparent relationship, and also seemed guilty. The Holts were really the only ones who hadn't done anything, but they were still tip-toeing around her as well.

"Honestly, I'm enjoying just relaxing too." Reagan stated. "In my family, that rarely happens."

Nodding, he took a deep breath and turned to Natalie, who was pointedly staring into the fire.

"Natalie?"

Her head jerked up at his soft question and she stared at him in shock. But it was only seconds before her eyes narrowed and she turned her head back.

Not swayed, he continued, "Do you want to go walk with me?"

Out of the corner of his eye Dan could see both Ned and Reagan wince and brace themselves. He didn't blame them.

 _I'm crazy for asking her. She's probably going to deck me or something._

But Natalie surprised him by swiftly standing up and saying, "I suppose I could. But I swear Dan, if you try to do anything-"

Pleased at her response _and_ her actually calling him 'Dan', he quickly said. "I won't. I promise."

Her dark eyes met his, and he tried to make his as apologetic as he could. She didn't say anything, but he saw her bite her lip. He had to make himself look away, the movement distracting him.

It was a silent walk to the edge of the trees. Dan had chosen the opposite direction of the lake, not wanting to bring up any bad memories. Plus he thought he had seen a trail over here somewhere...

"Wait."

He looked back to see Natalie wrinkling her nose at him, a few yards behind him.

"What?" He asked, his heart picking up its pace. _Please don't back out on me. Just, please don't._

For some unexplainable reason, Dan _really_ needed to talk to her and make it ok between them again.

"This won't be like a hike right? I don't need another pair of shoes ruined."

Holding back an eye roll, he assured her that it would be simply a 'walk' like he first said.

"Ok, good." Natalie shaded her eyes against the sun as she caught up to him. Dan almost told her she could wear his hat but caught himself just in time. That would be kind of weird, almost like offering her his jacket. And that was too 'boyfriend-ish' for his taste.

Nothing was said as they started down the trail. It was just a grassy pathway at first, but then it started to wind and get more complicated. Natalie didn't complain, but Dan saw her frown as they approached a small incline. It wasn't that bad but he knew that it would be difficult for her to get down in the dress she had on.

 _Why does she always wear those? They're not really camping clothes. And they are so attention drawing…_

But then Dan remembered the jeans she had been wearing that morning. They were almost _just_ as distracting with the way they hugged her body.

 _Gah why am I even thinking of her like that? Get yourself together Dan!_

Trying to divert his thoughts, he started walking faster, jumped down the incline in one swift motion, and looked back. Natalie was standing there, staring at the rocks like she was waiting for them to move out of the way for her. Sighing, he reached back his hand for her.

"Come on." He said impatiently, spotting some rock outcrops ahead. It would be a good place to sit and rest, not to mention testing the waters between them.

Still, she hesitated, eyeing him warily.

"You can trust me Nat." He said, hoping that the nickname would help persuade her instead of hinder. Even though she always scoffed when he called her that or 'princess', he thought she actually liked the nicknames.

She puffed out a breath but tentatively took his hand, mumbling. "I must be crazy."

The words stung, though he tried not to let them.

He focused on maneuvering her down the slope and let go of her hand just as soon as she was settled back on the path. Natalie never said anything but Dan kind of liked the way she gripped his hand tighter on the way down, like she actually _might_ trust him.

Finally they made it to the rocks.

"Do you want to sit here for a minute?" Dan asked her, noting with a little surprise that she wasn't out of breath yet.

She shrugged but sat down, folding her hands in her lap and giving him a wary look.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your mother." He stated, deciding that he might as well get straight to the point.

Natalie frowned and started to say something but he didn't let her.

"I shouldn't have done it. But Natalie, I really didn't mean it like that." Dan allowed his voice to get softer, even though he _hated_ the feeling of being mushy. But he had already put his pride on the line with the apology, so why not go all of the way? "You're nothing like her."

He paused then, not really sure what else to say. But Natalie spoke up.

"Look, I know I overreacted to what you said." Natalie winced, like the words were hard to confess. "I took your words too personally. So, as you Americans would say, 'let's just forget about it'."

Dan was shocked and must not have hid it well because she rolled her eyes at him. "You are acting like I never admit that I'm wrong."

"You don't." He stated truthfully.

Suddenly a smirk graced her features. "Well it's not very often. So don't get used to it Daniel."

He laughed, the humor catching him off-guard. But then another thought hit him and he swallowed, forcing the words out. "Do you want to call a truce? With our pranks?"

"A truce?" She sounded doubtful. "Are you sure this isn't to make me drop my guard?"

 _Geez. She really does think the worst about me._

Dan guessed that he could blame her. He _was_ the prank master and all.

"I'm totally serious." He said instead. "Don't get me wrong, pranking you is actually kind of fun but…"

"We're taking it too far?" Natalie looked a little guilty as she said the words. "I actually felt kind of bad about the mattress one."

"I was wondering why you left something for Amy to get me out with." He commented casually, the thought coming back to him. "But yeah, that's why."

And then he said what he really wanted to, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his gut. "Look Nat, I really do like you."

At her astonished look, he realized how the words could be taken. "As a friend!" He said quickly. "You aren't as bad of a person as I first thought."

"Thank you?" She scowled at him but Dan thought he could see relief on her face.

 _Is that because she doesn't like me like that either? And why does the thought of that disappoint me?_

There was an awkward pause, neither of them looking at each other, and then Dan heard her soft voice.

"I suppose I care about you too. As a friend."

He glanced at her to see that she was staring pointedly at the sky, avoiding his gaze. But that was fine with him. It just gave him a chance to study her features for a second, trying to read her sincerity.

 _She really is pretty,_ he noted, _especially with hardly any make up on. Normally she gunks it on her face._

Then he caught himself and looked away.

"So, we're friends now?" He tried not to sound doubtful but she must have heard it because she flashed him a cautious smile when he looked back at her.

"It sounds so strange doesn't it?" She said wryly. "But I suppose so. We can at least try anyways."

"Good." Not bothering to hide the relief in his voice, Dan stood. "Do you want to walk more or go back?"

"Go back." She said immediately. "I feel like I've been adventurous enough for one day."

It was a much better hike on the way back. Instead of a tense, uncertain silence it was a comfortable one. Well, almost comfortable. Dan still had trouble focusing with Natalie so close to him. But it was an improvement at least.

 _I feel a lot better now. And it's not so awkward._

When they got back to the campground there wasn't anyone there.

"I guess it's just us." Natalie commented, giving him a side glance. "What do you want to do?"

"Do?" He asked hesitantly. "We don't really like the same things."

Her face turned mischievous, a spark coming into her eye. Dan tried not to stare at her but he couldn't help it.

"We both like to prank. And we're pretty good at it." She stated.

He caught on to her meaning. "You're talking about us teaming up? Who should we get?"

"How about our annoying siblings who decided that it was perfectly fine to _date_ each other _?_ " She said 'date' like it was a cuss word. "Or Sinead, after the way she double-crossed me. We could turn one of her own inventions against her."

Dan couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. Natalie was pretty awesome when she wanted to be and so _Lucian_.

They pulled their chairs over in the shade and started plotting. To Dan's surprise though the subject started turning to other things; things that _friends_ would talk about.

They were in a deep discussion about 'good' jokes when the sound of car doors being slammed reached Dan's ears.

He looked up to see everyone getting out of the car, talking to each other. It didn't take long though for them to realize that he and Natalie were sitting there alone.

"Um, hi guys." Madison threw them a funny look.

"Hey, what's up?" Dan kept his voice casual but wanted to smirk as his sister gaped at him.

"Where are Reagan and Ted?" Amy asked.

Dan shrugged. "I don't know. They were out here when Natalie and I left to go on a hike and weren't when we came back."

"You went on a _hike?_ With _Daniel_?" Ian's directed this at his sister, dismay written all over his face.

Dan looked over at Natalie to see her lifting her chin. "It was more like a walk." She sniffed. "Can't I enjoy nature?"

Ian just blinked at her.

"So anyways," Dan turned back to the British girl, ignoring everyone else. "What do you mean, 'knock-knock' jokes aren't funny?"

"I just don't find them amusing." Natalie said. "Now riddles however I do enjoy."

"Oooh, have you heard the one about the babysitter and the coffin? It might be too creepy for you though."

"I actually _like_ creepy riddles." She retorted. "And yes, that's one of my favorites."

"Really?" He let the impressed feeling show on his face. _Natalie is actually cool when she isn't being all prissy._

"Wait." Sinead's voice was shocked as she approached them. "You two are getting along? Without sarcasm or anyone threatening you?"

"You say that like it's an impossible thing." Natalie snapped at her, but then she relaxed her features. "Dan and I decided to call a truce of sorts."

"Yep." Dan added, "Miracles do happen."

Sinead shook her head at both of them. "This is just too much for one day." She muttered. "You two getting along, and then Amy and Ian…"

The redhead trailed off, wincing as she glanced over at the two lovebirds, who had lost interest in their siblings and were staring at each other.

Dan followed her gaze and wish he hadn't of, especially as Ian pulled Amy into a hug. He made a gagging motion, and then turning back to Natalie, leaned in and whispered, "Ready to put our plan in action?"

The sincere smile on her face made all of the 'swallowing his pride stuff' earlier worth it.

"You bet." Still smiling at him, she stood up gracefully. "You know Daniel, you aren't that bad."

Then she threw him a wink before walking up to Sinead. "Ohhh, Sinead!"

 _Yep_. _It was totally worth it._ Dan thought with satisfaction, taking in the redhead's wary expression.

This might be the most rewarding truce he had ever made.

* * *

 **So this was more of a friendship fic...but I just LOVE Natan (they are my favorite 39 clue pairing) so I'm sure I'll write more about them in the future!**


	4. Something Worth Risking (Alina)

**This one shot is dedicated to Kyparissia39! I hope you like it!**

* * *

 _ **Something Worth Risking**_

"End of chapter 25, In Too Deep, Irina's POV"

 _Sudden panic seized her. Was she really ready to let go of life? There was a way to live that was not her way - she'd had glimpses of it. With Nikolai and … a few others. What agony it was to let it go! It was letting go of possibility. Of a dream._

' _I hope they know it was worth it to me,' she thought, staring at the Cahill children. Remember what I said, children. Fear her. In your hands it all lies now._

She barely could hear the roof cracking, the smoke continuing to fog her brain. But resolutely, she stood, staring down at the three figures below.

And suddenly, she felt ready. Ready to die, ready to sacrifice. Closing her eyes, not in defeat but in acceptance, she let go.

Vaguely, she thought she could hear cries of elation as she did so. Dan and Amy's voices, even Alistair's. But it was just her mind again, playing tricks on her. Her entire focus was starting to dim.

So she let it all fade away, slipping into blackness.

* * *

 _Smoke. Fire. Pain. Death._

The words flitted through Irina's mind as she awoke.

She kept her eyes closed as she tried to piece it all together.

 _It may not be safe to show that I'm awake. Wait, why am I awake?_

The logical part of her brain - which was _most_ of her brain - screamed at her that she couldn't be alive. Yet it was undeniable; the smell of smoke and the feeling of pain in her limbs told her that much.

Still, the pain wasn't as bad as it should have been. Cautiously, she honed her senses to try to make sense of it all. Now she could hear movement, her trained ears picking up the shuffle of soft footsteps on the floor.

 _Isabel?_ At the thought Irina almost panicked. But then common sense kicked in. _If it was her I would already be dead. For my betrayal._

She forced her thoughts away from that at the moment. Now she could hear breathing coming from the opposite corner of the room, a soft scraping sound - like something made out of glass being set down - and now the steady beep from a monitor. A hospital?

 _But how? It's not possible._

"Ms. Spasky? Are you awake?"

It was a pleasant voice speaking. A young, female voice. Not one that she recognized.

Slowly, Irina peeled her eyelids open and quickly darted her gaze around the room, taking it all in within seconds, charting out possible escape routes if needed.

"You are." The smiling brunette said from the corner of the room. "He said you probably would be a little disoriented."

 _He? And this doesn't look like a hospital._

Not wanting to give anything away, Irina stared at the girl, who wasn't wearing a nurse uniform or anything of the sort. Instead, she was dressed in jeans and a sweater, her long brown hair pulled up in a casual ponytail.

 _It must be cold where we are. So not in Australia anymore._

Irina liked the cold. It reminded her of home. However, in this situation, she didn't like it at all.

"Where am I?" She finally managed. "And who are you?"

She had more questions, but she waited to ask, not wanting to reveal too much until she knew for sure what she was dealing with.

"You're in South Korea, in Alistair's house. And my name is Francine, but everyone calls me Fran."

"Alistair? Alistair Oh?" As soon as the question left her mouth, Irina wanted to kick herself. Of course it was Alistair Oh. What a stupid question.

But the girl only smiled again. "Yes. He didn't give me many details, just brought you here and asked for me to take care of you. Of course, I know that no one is supposed to know you're here."

Irina looked down, not able to stand the innocent smile coming from Fran, someone who probably had no idea what all had happened.

"He left a letter for you." She said. "He said it would explain it all. Let me go retrieve it."

Fran left, and Irina tried to piece everything together from what little information she had.

 _I was obviously rescued from the fire. Somehow I was flown to South Korea to Alistair's home. But he's not here. Which means the Clue Hunt is going on still. Not much time has passed then. And this girl seems not bothered so she must not know._

Irina had no more time to think, because Fran came back, dropping an ivory piece of paper in her hand. There was no envelope, so Irina took it and flipped it over.

 _Irina,_

 _As you have probably figured out by now, you survived the fire. Dan found a large stick, and then bravely vaulted onto the roof, pushing you down it where I was waiting to catch you. By then you had already lost consciousness. I will spare you the details, but with the help of Nellie Gomez and some excellent craftiness on my part, we managed to sneak you out of Australia to my own home, where I can assure you that you will receive proper care. Lucians aren't the only ones who are sneaky; Ekats can be too you see. Francine is also an Ekat, but all she knows is that you are to remain hidden from anyone who isn't myself, Dan, Amy, or Nellie, and to alert me if anyone comes to look for you. I hope that you aren't angry at me Irina for taking things upon myself, but as you know you weren't awake to instruct me, and I assume that Isabel does not need to know what happened. We informed the police that you were dead, and though Isabel tried to pin it on me, I managed to evade their clutches. I will return after the Clue Hunt, and hopefully by then Isabel Kabra will be taken care of. I know you hate being told what to do, but please be safe and stay put. I will come back. It is not necessary to dispose of this letter unless you feel like you should. I assure you that my home is perfectly safe and secure._

 _Alistair Oh_

The first thought Irina had was annoyance. Alistair's tone was that of someone speaking to a child. But then as she re-read it, she had to conclude that he was right, both in how he handled the situation _and_ he was right in his assumptions. Isabel Kabra was the last person Irina wanted to deal with.

 _You're just a chicken. A big chicken._

But she knew that she was being hard on herself. Hadn't she done enough for Isabel, with no reward in return? Hadn't she given that woman enough power over her own life and decisions? Irina's loyalty had been trampled on, and she knew that if Isabel was suddenly transported here, the Lucian wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

 _Maybe it's better if I did expose myself. I deserve death._

But the thought of life though and being given another chance did seem like a grand gift to Irina. Maybe things could be different now.

 _Bah. What do I speak of? Me, different?_

"Ms. Spasky?" Fran's voice cut into her musings. "If you don't mind, I would like to check your vitals. Alistair insisted that you read the letter first, but I need to make sure you're ok. You have some pretty nasty burns."

Irina wasn't worried about the burns. They would heal. But the title made her sound too official, and reminded her too much of her past, when people would call her that out of fear or even respect. Maybe change could start right here.

"Call me Irina."

* * *

She was about to 'lose the marbles' as the Cahill children would say. Irina wasn't one to sit around and wait patiently, and right now she was almost willing to risk it all to rejoin the Clue Hunt. It had been weeks since she had woken up here and too many of them had passed.

"Now Irina, you know that you still need to heal." Fran's chipper voice was saying.

Chipper. One of the many things that Irina couldn't stand in a person. Being chipper wasted energy. Energy that could be being spent spying, plotting, planning, or double-crossing.

 _Not anymore, remember? You're a different person._

So she bit hard on her tongue and tried to smile, although it felt like a grimace. "I am healed. Now I go."

"But Alistair said-"

"I don't care what that crazy man said." She felt a twinge as the words left her mouth but she couldn't help the sharpness of her tone.

If she had to spend one more day here she would go crazy. Besides, she had been following some of the Clue Hunt on Fran's computer. All she had to do was type in 'historical' and 'disaster' and it was easy to see where everyone was.

"Just two more days." Now a hint of pleading could be heard in the girl's voice.

Most people wouldn't have been able to pick up on the anxious glint in Fran's eyes as she spoke. But Irina Spasky wasn't _most_ people.

She stared at Fran, who was now pointedly avoiding her gaze.

"Why do you only say two? Why not a general 'couple' or 'few'?"

"Please?" Fran ignored the question and instead turned her sad eyes in Irina's direction.

Holding back a sharp retort and a sigh, she reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But Thursday I'm leaving. With no arguments."

Instead of cowering down at her hard tone, Fran shot her a happy grin.

Irina hated how she already had a soft spot in her heart for the girl. Fran was sweet and cheerful and didn't seem to be affected by the former KGB spy.

 _No. She's not affected at all. Either I'm losing my touch or I'm going soft._

Not wanting to dwell on that, she instead turned her thoughts to another confusing topic. Or more like person.

 _Alistair._

Why did he care so much? Irina had never been what you would call 'close' with the Ekat. Even though there was that night...but Irina had forced the slight flicker of attraction down. She had other goals in life, and feelings - whether platonic or romantic - wasn't one of them.

 _He just feels responsible. Since you saved his and the children's lives. That's all. Repayment of debt._

But Irina couldn't shake the uneasy feeling off.

Not liking the direction of these thoughts, she turned her focus to the Clue Hunt. Since she was planning on rejoining she needed to plan. The last thing she wanted was to run into Isabel. So working from any of the Lucian bases was out. Irina would be on her own.

 _But isn't that how it's always been? I've always been on my own. Ever since Nikolai...there's been no one since. No one I've cared for and no one who has cared for me._

"Irina? Are you ok?" Fran's concerned voice broke into Irina's thoughts.

 _Fran cares. Or at least acts like it. But she doesn't know all I've done._

Out loud she answered. "I'm fine. I just need computer."

Planning, that's what she needed to spend her energies on now. Not wishful thinking that would get her nowhere.

* * *

It was the morning of the second day, and Irina was in much better spirits.

 _Today is the day I go. And whether I win or lose, whether I live or die, at least I'll be doing something useful._

Fran seemed to be extra happy too, which was saying a lot. Irina wasn't sure why, but she didn't have a good feeling about it. Still, at least she was soon to leave.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely registered the door open. But she _did_ register that it wasn't Fran and her brain went on high alert. Without looking up, she took into account how she knew.

The footsteps were different, not as light as the younger girl's. And Fran breathed different. And smelled different.

 _Whoever it is must be a male._

Which more than likely could only mean one person.

Slowly lifting her head, she saw that her assumption was correct.

"Alistair." Irina felt a little surprised as his showing up like this, though she didn't show it.

But now Fran's reaction two days ago made sense. She had known he was coming but for some reason didn't want to reveal this to Irina. Why? Did she think that Irina would bolt? And why would she think that?

Shaking the silly thoughts away, Irina spoke again. "Why are you here? Aren't you on Clue Hunt still?"

Alistair gave her a tiny smile, looking her directly in the eye. For some reason, it was disconcerting, so Irina looked away. Then she wanted to curse herself for it. Wasn't she supposed to be tough? Besides, it was just him.

She looked back to see him still smiling at her, but this time he spoke. "Hello Irina. You look well."

She tried to smile back, but her thoughts were going in every direction.

"In answer to your question, the Clue Hunt is over. The Cahill children won, and it was probably a good thing."

Irina could tell that Alastair was trying for an apathetic tone, but she could see the disappointment in his eyes. She understood disappointment. She understood throwing all of your energy into one thing, and then watching it crumble in front of you.

"Give me details. And what about Isabel?"

Alistair gestured to the couch in the room. "It's a long story. Why don't we sit?"

Irina reluctantly did so, though she took a chair beside the couch instead of sitting on it with him.

Alistair shot another smile at her and began, picking up from his letter and going all the way through the end of the hunt, even describing the moments after Isabel was captured - two days ago - and why he had been delayed.

"I spoke with Fran as soon as everything happened but wanted to tell you all of this in person." He explained.

 _Ah. That explains the girl's panic._

Out loud she said, "Why do you keep me here for two extra days? Why not call when it ended?"

She didn't exactly know why she wanted this information but it seemed important. Her ears had detected a slightly 'off' note in his voice during parts of the story.

An uncomfortable look flickered across the Korean's face but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"I was waiting for everything to settle."

And that's all he said. Irina shot him a doubtful look. "You're lying. Why? And about what?"

"Ah the spy is coming out in you." Alistair smiled again, but this time it was different. Almost affectionate.

Again, she couldn't hold his gaze and _hated_ herself for it. Resisting the urge to go kick a puppy, she channeled her energy to her tone and snapped out, "Well I can't help it. That's who I am."

Then she groaned. "Or who I was. I don't know anymore."

"Yes. A lot has changed in me also over the last couple of months." Alistair muttered.

Irina wasn't sure if he was talking to her or himself, so she said nothing, lost in her own thoughts.

So the hunt was over. All was lost. And now a new threat loomed; a bigger one that Isabel Kabra.

Sighing, she stood, "Well, I guess I'll be going."

"Going?" He echoed.

"I was going anyways, to rejoin hunt. Now I'm going home. To Russia." Irina said, trying to sound confident, unlike she felt.

She wasn't really sure what to feel. So much had changed these past few months. Looking at Alistair, she said. "Thank you."

That was hard to state. But at least it was over with now. She turned towards the door.

"Wait."

Irritation washed over her. She liked good-byes to be simple and she was ready to go. For some reason Irina had felt awkward since Alistair had stepped into the room.

"Why don't you stay for a couple of days?"

 _Stay?!_

She opened her mouth to protest, still turned towards the door when he quickly explained.

"We can discuss more of the Clue Hunt. And we can help each other."

At that Irina did turn, a frown already crossing her face. "Help each other? What do you talk of? I don't need help."

"You may be able to fool a lot of people Irina, but you can't fool me." Alistair's eyes were piercing.

This time she refused to look away though.

He went on, "Your actions in Australia proved to me that you want to change. I do too. But it's hard to do when the disappointment over the Clue Hunt, something we have both poured our lives into, looms over us. It would be nice to have someone around that understands. At least for a couple of days."

 _I see. He doesn't want to be here alone, surrounded by people who don't understand._

Irina was used to being alone. But something about his words struck a chord inside of her, made something in her brain shout, _'yes, that's what I want too'._

She mulled it over, and then nodded slowly. "Fine. Staying a day or two wouldn't hurt. And I can plan what to do from now on."

To her amazement Alistair's face lit up, "Excellent. We can, what do you call it 'catch up'?"

Irina scoffed, more to cover up the rush of pleasure that his reaction had gave her. Not wanting to dwell on _why_ she just reacted that way, she retorted. "You've been spending too much time around Cahill children."

He chuckled, and she had to work hard to stop her own smile from spreading across her face. Sighing instead, she headed for the door again. "I guess I need to _unpack._ "

* * *

A 'day or two' ended up turning into a couple of weeks.

Irina didn't know why she stayed that long. At first it was just getting caught up with the Clue Hunt. It was interesting learning stuff from Alistair's side. And it was nice to be able to talk to someone she trusted. She didn't have hardly anyone in her life like that. And then she told herself she was staying because she wasn't sure where to go after here.

It was a lie though, and she knew it. There were plenty of places she could go, things she could do. But she found out that she didn't want to at the moment. Was it just because things had been so confusing and her life had changed so drastically in the last few weeks? Was it because she felt at a loss due to not being aligned closely with the Lucian branch anymore? Was it because not having a purpose was throwing her off?

Or was it something else entirely?

Something inside of her had softened, and she had a feeling that it had more to do with Alistair than with anything else. Being around him made her more easy-going, made her laugh more. Dare she say it? Made her _happier._

And she didn't know how to handle it. Pushing it down only worked for the first few days she had felt the emotions. Now they were getting harder to hide.

 _But do I want to hide them? Isn't this what I wanted, to feel something again? Something that died with the death of my son?_

No more time to think, Fran poked her head into the room. "Hey, Alistair wanted me to get you. He said he's waiting for you to go out to dinner?"

Irina looked at the time and released a swear word. "Tell him I'm coming."

 _It's not a date._ She thought to herself as she looked over her appearance in the mirror and then started down the stairs _. He knows this right? And_ _I_ _know this...right?_

But as soon as she caught sight of him her heart fluttered. He was so handsome... _Gah I do not need these thoughts. Think of all of his annoying traits._

It didn't help though when he turned and smiled at her, eyes flickering across her quickly. Almost too quickly for her to catch, but her spy side caught _everything_ like that.

"Well let's go." She stated, reaching for her coat.

Alistair was right there though, holding it out and helping her put it on. Squashing the warm, happy feeling that it gave her, she pursed her lips together and went back to thinking of how annoying the man was.

 _So pushy. And annoying with his constant bragging about being Ekat. And really sweet. With all the 'helping save my life' and 'having Fran take care of me' and…_

"Irina? Are you ok? You're rather tense."

She looked over to see Alistair already by the door, frowning at her, who was probably standing there with a ridiculous look on her face.

"I'm fine. Ready to go."

He didn't reply but held the door for her as they exited. Irina felt awkward about it. She wasn't used to 'gentlemanly' treatment. Most men were scared of her, or too intimidated to repeat stuff like that once she set one of her glares upon them. But Alistair always ignored her.

 _Another annoying trait. I must focus on that._

There wasn't much chatting in the car. Irina felt the Ekat's eyes on her several times but kept staring out the window, wondering if she should bring up to him that she was leaving tomorrow.

She had decided that morning that she had to. It just didn't make sense to stay here, hidden away from the real world that she needed to go face. Pretending only got you so far.

But she didn't have to wonder long about bringing it up to Alistair. As soon as the car stopped he spoke. "Tell me what is on your mind Irina. You've been acting strangely all day."

Sighing, she turned to him. "I will. But after we get in and get food."

 _That way there will be a distraction._ She added mentally. _I won't have to look at you when I tell you I'm leaving._

She shouldn't care about his feelings, but she did. There was no denying that she cared a lot for Alistair, and she knew it would hurt him when she left. She was sure it was just because he didn't want to be lonely and wanted someone to confide in that understood - like he stated when first asking her to stay. But still, she couldn't stay here forever. Not if she wanted to keep control of her emotions.

Putting her best apathetic expression on, she tried to maintain it all throughout the next few moments as they entered the restaurant, sat down, and ordered. Finally they received their food though and the moment came.

"What a strange time you've picked to talk." Alistair muttered. "Right while we are eating?"

At her sharp look he retracted, "But it's what you wanted so here we are."

Irina fiddled with her straw as she debated how to break the news to him. After a few seconds she decided to just say it. "I'm going tomorrow."

"Going?" He echoed.

She looked up to see him furrowing his brow at her. He couldn't possibly be confused over what she meant could he? But as the silence started to get heavy she realized that he could and let out a sigh. "Going. As in leaving your house and your country and going to Russia."

A flash of something crossed his face but fled instantly. Panic? Disbelief?

She couldn't tell so she went on, suddenly not being able to stop her lips from moving. "I can't stay. What reason is there to stay? I have to get on with my life and let you get on with yours. Hiding away isn't going to help either of us. And-"

"You're going to Russia?"

Hadn't he heard a word of what she just said? Irritated, she snapped out, "Yes. That's what I'm telling you Alistair."

He leaned back in his chair, a frown crossing his face. "But-I-you-I mean, you _can't_ leave."

"And why can't I? I just listed the reasons I must." Seeing his expression fall she added in a gentler tone, "I've enjoyed our friendship. But-"

"Friendship?" Alistair snorted the word out, almost looking angry.

Startled at his reaction, she dumbly looked at him.

"Isn't this all more than simple friendship Irina? Neither of us has discussed it, but we both care about each other very much." Suddenly he grinned, a drastic change from his scowl. "And I know you too well for you to lie to me about your feelings."

 _What?!_ Irina's mind immediately went in full freak-out mode, though she concealed it well. _Feelings? More than friendship? What has Alistair been drinking?_

He smiled wryly at her, and she realized that she must have not concealed her reaction as well as she thought. Or, more than likely, he could just read her too well, like he just said.

Taking a bite of food to distract herself, she chewed it slowly while she thought. Finally, she put her fork down and stated quietly, "So we're both thinking the same way. We both have"- she spit the word out, barely getting it through her teeth, -"feelings. Feelings that are romantic?"

Then she laughed, a dry, humorless laugh as the words settled over her. "I feel like we are having a teenager talk."

Alistair laughed too, but his wasn't so dry. "Well we need to discuss this Irina. Yes, I have those feelings for you, and I thought you did too. Why else would you stay? And open yourself up again? I know that's not how you normally would act, especially after your son."

Her heart panged at the reference to her son. But what he said was true. As usual, his Ekat intelligence was shining through, countering with her Lucian cunningness.

"I want you to stay." Alistair was saying now, eyeing her cautiously. "At least for a little bit longer. I think you need more time to heal, instead of making yourself be tough and face things."

"And what about this-" she made a motion between the two of them, her eye twitching for some strange reason, -"what are we going to do there."

She felt conflicted. One on hand, she longed to feel completion again, the feeling of having someone that she could possibly love and someone who could possibly love her. But the other hand was scoffing, telling her that something like that was unattainable and would only end in disaster like before. Especially, with all that had happened in the last few weeks and months. How to tell him though?

Honesty was the best way to deal with this, she decided.

Taking a deep breath, she stated, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for anything like what we are talking of. Everything is all upside-down right now."

"Why not take a chance Irina? You have taken risks all of your life, because you valued things as important." His voice was firm, but she detected a bit of hurt in it. Then his voice softened a little bit. "I know you've been, what do you say, 'burned' in the past. But closing yourself off will get you right back to where you were."

Irina wanted to be angry at his statement. But on the inside of her she knew he was trying to help her with his bluntness.

Looking him straight in the eye, she relented. "Fine. But just so you know, I think this might turn out not as you expect. I have a lot of things to get through."

"So do I. But why not get through them together?"

And then he beamed at her, sending warmth throughout her body, throughout her _heart._

 _Maybe he's right. Maybe love is what I've needed all along. And companionship, someone to share life's hurts with._

Then, feeling a bit impish - a rare emotion for her - she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Of course, out here in public she kept it as a peck. But the astonishment on his face was worth the effort, and _almost_ brought a smile to her face.

"Ok. Fine."

He still seemed speechless, so she sighed loudly. "Oh, that wasn't even a _real_ kiss."

Alistair blinked at her. "It wasn't?"

Irina let the smug smile show up now, "I'll show you a real one later. But now I want to order dessert."

She felt amused - another rare thing - as she watched him turn back to the menu and try to act unaffected by her statement.

As she followed his lead, eye twitching slightly again, Irina had another feeling. A feeling that 'completion' may not be so hard to attain after all.

* * *

 **Irina's lingo was extremely difficult to write so if I botched it up please forgive me and overlook it. :D**

 **Aaaand I kept the romance low-key to keep them in character, so I may have to write a '3 months later' or something similar in the future…**

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. All is Fair in Love and Jealousy (Natan)

**I started this one-shot months ago but decided to finish and post it this week while I'm working on my Broderick/Cora one-shot and developing a plot for a short Amian/Jonead action fic. I hope everyone likes it! I LOVE NATAN!**

* * *

 _ **All's Fair in Love and...Jealousy?**_

Natalie Kabra frowned at her reflection in the mirror, something she only did on occasion. But today, her frown wasn't over a misplaced hair or smudge of makeup.

It was over her boyfriend, Daniel Cahill.

And this time, her mood towards him had nothing to do with a prank, an annoying comment, or even one of his stupid jokes - jokes that he always told at the wrong moments. It was over what he _wasn't_ doing.

Thinking over the last couple of days though she felt bad for being so frustrated. Dan had seemed happy to see her when he and Amy had arrived in London two days ago, shooting her an excited grin and stating how happy he was that they could hang out this week. He had even whispered to her in the car that he hoped she liked the gift he got her for Christmas. No, he had acted perfectly fine towards her.

The lack of physical expression, _that_ was what bothered her. Since he had been here, Dan hadn't so much as touched her hand in front of everyone, barely even standing or sitting in close proximity of her. He acted like she had the plague when other people were around. And it was driving her crazy.

 _He doesn't have to make out with me or anything. But would showing a little affection kill him?_

It was a weird thought to have. In past relationships, Natalie wasn't big on PDA. But normally that was because her exes would try to do too much in front of people. And anyways, Dan was different. She wouldn't mind him holding her hand or kissing her. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when she thought about her blonde-haired boyfriend, with his bright green eyes and soft side - the side that he showed mainly in front of her.

Really, he was a great guy and treated her good. She had no complaints except for it seemed like in front of other people he was ashamed to be dating her.

 _That's stupid Natalie. He's not ashamed of you. He's the one that told everyone that you two are dating,_ she tried to tell herself, thinking of a few months back when Dan had actually seemed proud of their relationship. But the sinking feeling in her chest wouldn't go away.

Besides, even in private he had only kissed her cheek once and brushed her shoulder twice. In two days. That was it. Something had to be wrong.

Finally she let out a sigh and decided that she had been moping over Dan long enough. Flipping her hair over her shoulders, she looked at herself in the mirror one more time, gave herself a mini pep-talk, and headed downstairs where the others were waiting.

"Finally!" Dan said as soon as she hit the bottom of the stairs. "We've been waiting forever."

Shooting him a glare to cover up the hurt at his tone, she sniffed and joined her brother and Amy who were standing near the door.

"Are we taking a larger car this time?" She asked, mainly to distract herself from Dan's comment.

"Yes, the limo will drop us off at the mall." Ian said, barely glancing at her, instead shooting Amy a dopey look as he took her by the hand and led her out the door.

Natalie followed, trying to ignore the pang that shot through her at seeing the gesture. She didn't say anything as they took their seats in the limo, even when Nellie asked her if she was done with her Christmas shopping. Sending the girl a short nod in lieu of speaking, she reclined gracefully back in the seat and closed her eyes, trying to get a grasp on her thoughts.

"Hey, do you think the mall has one of those hover board thingies that we could try out?" Dan's excited voice broke through her thoughts.

She peeled her eyes open reluctantly to see if he was addressing her. But he was looking out the window, on the other side of Nellie so she let someone else answer.

"I don't know, maybe-Ian, stop it!" Amy giggled as Ian tickled her slightly.

Her brother only grinned and kept it up for a few seconds, before Amy threatened him with, "no more kisses for you then today!"

Ian's face looked horrified and he held up his hands, "Ok, no more, I promise!"

Amy laughed again as she snuggled into his side, and Natalie had to look away. When she did she noticed Dan looking at them too. But instead of rolling his eyes or making a face he was studying them, his brows furrowed. Suddenly, his green eyes turned on her and she flinched, feeling weird about being caught staring at him. He was sure to tease her now.

But he only flashed her a tiny smile before turning to look back out the window.

 _Ugh, it's so hard to stay mad at him when he's cute like that._ She thought, misery setting in. _On the other hand, it should be so easy for me to bring the subject up to him but it's not. Why is that?_

They made it finally, and to Natalie's relief, with no further displays of affection between Ian and Amy.

"We have to go to Victoria's Secret!" Nellie announced as soon as they had stepped foot into the mall. "All of their perfume is on sale!"

Dan wrinkled his nose. "You have plenty of money Nellie, what does it matter?"

"Such a male," His former au pair shot him a disappointed look. "Anyways, you and Ian should go find something else to do."

"Gladly." Ian stated, looking as uncomfortable as Dan did.

Natalie held back a laugh and turned, happy to get the time alone with her thoughts. But once she started shopping, she decided that thinking was overrated. Why let her boyfriend's weird behavior bother her? So she pushed it down and tried to immerse herself in her favorite hobby.

It wasn't until hours later, after they finally met up with the guys at the food court, that the sinking feeling came back. Her brother had just stated that he was going to go order food for him and Amy (with Nellie throwing her order in there), when Natalie finally felt something inside of her snap. She glanced at Dan, who was standing by her but keeping his distance at the same time.

 _This is ridiculous. I'm doing something about this, NOW._

"Hey Dan," She reached over and grabbed his arm, causing him to freeze. Annoyance welled up in her chest but she ignored it, asking, "So what did you guys do? Did you find the hover board, uh, thingies?"

She wasn't really sure what they were, but she placed a smile on her face and leaned closer to him, trying to drop the hint. Only he didn't take it, laughing nervously and stepping back from her. "Um, yeah, they were fun. So do you want food too? I'll just go get us some…"

And at that he darted away without even asking her what she wanted. Forcing the feeling of rejection down, she turned to the others. "Shall we sit down?"

The girls agreed and started scouting out. But Natalie caught Nellie giving her a sympathetic look as they did so, which irritated her to no end. She was Natalie Kabra - she didn't need anyone's _pity._

The food court was crowded, but they finally found two tables side by side and sat. Amy and Nellie sat down at the table that held four chairs, leaving the one with two chairs open.

"You and Dan can sit there!" Amy stated cheerfully, not seeming to have noticed the tension between her brother and Natalie.

"Sounds lovely." She said weakly and sat down, pulling out her phone.

After blindly staring at it for a few seconds, she sensed a presence standing right beside her chair. Sure that it was someone in her group she casually glanced up, only to be face-to-face with one of her old school acquaintances from a couple years ago.

"Andrew?" She asked, surprised at seeing him here.

Natalie hadn't seen Andrew in ages, and though he had always been nice, she had friend-zoned him when he obviously liked her, causing a little tension between them when he took it too personally.

Andrew was smiling at her with a friendly, open expression. "Natalie Kabra? Wow, it's crazy seeing you here!"

She smiled thinly, trying to gather her thoughts. Andrew was talking again though, giving her a little time. "You look great, as always."

His admiring gaze gave her ego the boost it needed, and although she refused to match his flirty tone, she smiled at him again. But this time it wasn't as hard to give.

"Why thank you." She said, tilting her head. "And what have you been up to?"

"Oh, just getting a college degree and making lots of money." He bragged, his eyes smug as he talked.

Holding back an eye roll, Natalie said, "Oh?"

She must have done a good job at the 'I'm interested tone' because he went on for several minutes, boasting of his accomplishments. Natalie began to get annoyed and wondered where in the heck Dan was. Although she was still ticked off at him, he was much better than the guy currently standing in front of her - the guy who at the moment was talking about himself like he was some kind of catch.

Looking over at the other table, she saw that her brother had returned but was too caught up in conversation with Amy and Nellie to notice her distress. Trying to think of an excuse to leave, she barely caught the end of Andrew's question.

"So do you still live in London?"

 _I should be nicer._ Natalie thought, wondering if she should feel guilty for _not_ feeling guilty. _I suppose he's just trying to be polite?_

"Yes, Ian and I still have our mansion."

Andrew nodded and then shot her what he probably thought was a charming smile. "And I have another question. Why is someone as beautiful as you sitting all alone? I could help you out."

Now she felt slightly uncomfortable, but was too polite to show it here in public. She opened her mouth to change the subject when she was interrupted.

"She's actually here with her _boyfriend_." A familiar voice behind her practically spat out. "So go find someone else to hit on."

"Dan!" She said, embarrassed at his jealousy but secretly thrilled too.

"What? You think it's cool for him to act like that while you're dating me?" The possessiveness could now be heard clearly in his voice, causing the other three in their party to turn from their food with an interested look.

"Look dude, I'm leaving." Andrew looked uncomfortably between the two of them, and Natalie could sense that he was regretting coming over here in the first place.

Not really caring about him though, she turned to face Dan who was shooting daggers at the guy who was now retreating. Then he looked at her, and the way his eyes were flashing made her falter a little.

"I can't believe you were sitting here flirting with him!"

"I wasn't flirting!" She said, anger welling up in her chest that he would accuse her of something like that.

"Well you sure weren't giving him 'back-off' signals." He spat out.

Natalie started to argue back but she thought she caught a glint of hurt in her boyfriend's eyes.

It threw her off so bad that all she could do was stare helplessly at him, not sure what to say now.

It threw her off even more when he reached for her hand, pulled her up in front of him and kissed her, right in the middle of the food court.

 _Finally,_ her mind whispered, and she let herself get lost in his kiss. But as he pulled her closer to him, she remembered with a start how mad she was.

Stiffening, she drew back, the words escaping from her mouth before she could stop them. "Oh, so now all of a sudden you can touch me? When you're jealous?"

Dan frowned, but she also saw confusion come into his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The way you act in front of everyone!" Then she noticed a lot of curious heads turning their way and conversations quieting (probably to eavesdrop) so she lowered her voice. "I don't want to talk about this now."

His jaw tightened. "Then when do you want to talk about it? I have no idea what's going on!"

She took a deep breath, hating fighting with him. "Can we take a taxi back to the house? Or have the limo drop us off? I promise I'll explain."

"Yeah." His reply was short, but she thought she saw relief in his eyes.

He turned and walked over to Ian, stating something briefly to him before coming back over to her. He surprised her again by taking her hand as they exited and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. When she glanced over at him though his facial expression was still tight, so she didn't say anything.

It was an awkward ride back to the house, Natalie fiddling with her phone and avoiding his eyes and Dan looking out the window again. But they finally made it. Sighing, she looked at him as they climbed out. "Let's go to my room to talk. None of the staff will go in there and I don't want to be interrupted."

"Uh, ok." Dan looked wary now, but followed her up the steps.

When they entered her room, Natalie shut the door and turned to him, debating on how to start this.

Dan helped her out though. "How do I act in front of everyone? And what does it have to do what just happened back there in the mall? With that guy?"

"Nothing really." She hesitated, then blurted out. "I just don't understand why you don't want to touch me in front of other people!"

He blinked at her, "Wait, what?"

Not wanting to face him she half turned towards her nightstand, "I mean would it kill you to make some sort of contact? It's like you want nothing to do with me! And I don't know-"

"That's because you've told me before that you hate PDA!"

At the frustration in Dan's voice, Natalie halted, and then turned to face him. "What?" She asked dumbly. When had she mentioned that to him?

He was staring back at her, confusion and exasperation mixed in his green eyes. "Nat," He said in a softer voice, "I'm really lost here."

"I-I" She started, but the intensity of his gaze halted her words. Taking a deep breath she tried again, "I did, I suppose. But with you it's different. _You're_ different."

His eyes widened, and she wanted to scream at herself for letting that out. "I mean, my old boyfriends were obnoxious about it. Most of them were just doing it to either feel me up or were trying to do it for attention. Like to make it into magazines and stuff."

"Oh." Dan's face cleared. Then, hesitantly, he repeated her words, "I'm different?"

"Of course you are." Now it was her turn to shoot him an exasperated look. "You respect me more than that." She gulped as she added, "And I _like_ you Dan. _Really_ like you."

At her words she saw his expression light up, and she threw him a small smile as she went on to explain, "But back to the PDA topic. I mean, you don't have to make-out with me or anything, but holding my hand or even kissing me hello in front of everyone isn't going to make me mad."

"There have been a lot of times I've wanted to do that stuff." Dan ducked his head, probably from embarrassment, and Natalie felt her heart leap at his words, "But I figured it would make you want to murder me so I didn't."

Natalie licked her lips that had suddenly gone dry. She couldn't believe how all of this was just a miscommunication. "Oh."

He looked up at her then. "So that's why you've been so quiet this whole time? And have been acting funny?"

"Um yes." She blushed and looked away again. "I was trying to figure it out. I thought maybe I did something where you didn't want to- oh I don't know!"

Hating how vulnerable she felt she crossed her arms in front of her and shut her mouth.

She was startled to hear Dan laugh and it ticked her off. Meeting his eyes again she gritted out, "I'm glad you think this is funny."

The grin didn't leave his face. "What I think is funny is that you thought you did something that would make me _not_ want to touch you. As if."

Her heart dropped at the implications of his words. Surely he didn't mean it like the way it sounded. "What do you mean?" She asked weakly, her voice losing its earlier intensity.

"You're so clueless sometimes." He shook his head at her. "Like really clueless. For a Lucian anyways."

"Excuse me?!" She exclaimed, and was going to say more but his hands on her face halted her words.

"I mean-" He drew his face closer to hers and suddenly she could hardly think, -"that if you had any idea how many times I've resisted touching you in front of everyone you would be stunned."

Then he kissed her before she could register his meaning. It was only after they both pulled back in a few seconds that his words hit her fully.

"Oh." She said faintly. Clearing her throat, she muttered, "Well I'm glad that everything is cleared up now."

"Yeah me too." He stated, drawing back from her and plopping down in one of her chairs. "Hey how about next time we just talk to each other instead of all of that drama."

"Hmm I don't know…" Natalie said playfully, her wits coming back to her now that Dan had stepped away from her. "The kiss in the mall was kind of fun. I've never seen you jealous before."

The frown came back on his face. "Can you blame me? It looked like you were really enjoying the conversation-"

Now it was Natalie who was laughing, the irony hitting her. "Enjoying the conversation? Please."

Dan eyed her warily. "You weren't? You don't have to lie to make me feel better."

"I was trying to graciously retreat the entire time." She admitted. "I'm actually surprised he was talking to me, given that our last discussion ended with me friend-zoning him."

"You friend-zoned him?" Dan didn't even bother to hide his happiness.

She sighed, giving him a 'duh' look. "Of course I did. I have _standards."_

Then realizing that Dan could take that as a compliment and would perhaps even start bragging, she quickly added, "So now what?"

"Well," His face went into thinking mode. "We did kind of leave our food at the mall. And I'm starving."

She rolled her eyes, "Of course your mind would be on food."

He shrugged, throwing her a grin. "We could leave and go eat, like a date."

"Oh." She was startled by his words but matched his grin with her own. "That would be nice."

"You probably want to go somewhere fancy." He stated, "So let me think of somewhere-"

"Actually," Natalie interjected, knowing that she was about to shock him, "I'm hungry right now and don't want to take the time to dress up. So we could go to a really cool arcade place I know of that's nearby."

Dan blinked at her in astonishment. "You want to go play arcade games?"

She shrugged, heading for the door. "Well I _did_ smoke you the last time we played. So why not? Besides, they have decent food."

He didn't reply, but she heard him chuckle as he followed her downstairs. They were getting their jackets when Ian, Amy, and Nellie came in the door talking.

"Oh hey you two. We were just talking about going to see a movie." Amy smiled at them.

"Natalie and I are about to go on a date." Dan stated, and then to Natalie's delight, she felt his arm wrap around her waist as he pulled them to the door. "So maybe next time."

She grinned at him and then glanced back over her shoulder. "Ta-ta!"

As she and Dan made their way to the car, his arm still around her and her leaning close to him, she had a strange thought.

 _I actually kind of owe Andrew now. The next time I see him I'll have to thank him. And maybe if Dan's around things will end the same way..._

"What are you thinking about? You look kind of devious." Dan spoke up from beside her.

Shooting him an innocent look, she replied, "Nothing devious darling. I was just thinking about how much I adore you."

Dan returned her look with a doubtful one, but she ignored it and pecked his cheek to distract him. It worked, and minutes later - thankfully inside of the car - he was distracting _her._

 _Sometimes_ , Natalie thought with satisfaction, once she could think again, _jealousy works out._

* * *

 **Yeah so the title is unoriginal but I was having a brain-block...haha**


	6. A Fortuitous Encounter (Broderick-Cora)

**This is dedicated to** _ **Just a Happy Wombat**_ **who requested a Broderick/Cora meeting fic!**

 **Hopefully I don't have any details wrong...it's hard to write about people that are barely mentioned in the book series but this relationship has always intrigued me. Just my take on how it may have happened!**

* * *

 _ **A Fortuitous Encounter**_

"You want me to do _what?_ "

Broderick gripped the phone tighter and tried to keep his tone light and even, but he must not have pulled it off because his boss let out a small laugh.

"I know it's not what you were expecting, but Preston is sick and won't be able to make it. And we have to have someone there, both to represent our company and to carry out our assignment."

"What about acting as the contact?" He asked, trying to think of some way to get out of this.

"We have another guy trained in that field as of two days ago, so he will be doing your assignment while you do Preston's."

"But that's not even my field of expertise. Can't someone else go?" He pleaded.

"Sorry Broderick. But you're the only person we have to send."

His boss' words were sympathetic, but firm. He added, "And you're the only one with enough experience to manage this. Who knows, maybe your flexibility will open up a lot more opportunities for you in the future."

Holding back his protest, he gave a half-hearted 'yes sir' and hung up the phone.

It looked like instead of immersing himself in what he loved tomorrow night, he would be stuck babysitting another stuck-up, _boring_ as h*ll book author. Broderick put his head in his hands and told himself that it couldn't be as terrible as the last time he had to do something like this.

When he had first starting working for Diamond Works - a large and well-known publishing company - he had started out writing up press releases, which at times included interviewing various book authors. At first it was alright, but Broderick had learned fast that he wasn't the best person at dealing with temperamental almost-celebrities (or at least that's what a lot of authors seemed to think they were).

And then there was that incident with a Mrs. Laura Patterson, a famous sci-fi writer. Broderick didn't know how it had happened but somehow he managed to piss her off within seconds, offending her when he had barely opened his mouth. But she had snubbed him the entire night, treated him like someone well beneath her status, and then reported his 'unprofessional behavior' to his boss. It hadn't been his fault, and his boss had known that so he opted to offer him another position instead of firing him.

All in all, it had been for the best. Broderick fell in love with his new position that consisted of managing the events and doing the necessary research - behind the scene stuff and out of the spotlight - instead of being on the field.

But it looked like now there would be yet another interaction with a famous author, the very well-known and much respected Cora Bancroft.

It was wrong to judge someone he didn't really know. Broderick knew that, but he wasn't in the mood to give her or anyone that much grace. So with a scowl on his face, he picked up his laptop to see what his boss had emailed him and started prepping for what he was sure would be a barely tolerable evening.

* * *

Broderick had found out that he could in fact, be wrong sometimes.

 _This_ was the most pleasant work-related event he had attended in a long time, and he had only been here for ten minutes.

First off, the event wasn't like any he had attended. Most were prestigious, stuffy, overly-formal, and boring. But right away he had noticed a few subtle changes - like Cora's team actually being pleasant, though the woman in question hadn't arrived yet - and it made the atmosphere more relaxed.

Secondly, he had only been milling about for a couple of minutes when a familiar face appeared in front of him, one of his old school friends named Mike. The man had explained after greeting Broderick that he was a part of Cora's editing team, and that he loved every bit of it.

When Broderick had brought up his past experience with famous authors Mike had brushed it off, assuring him that the person he worked for wasn't that bad at all.

"She knows what she's doing and only expects the best." He admitted, "But she is great to work for. Don't worry, she won't be a Patterson. Anyways, while you're waiting you should check out the food over there. You may not have time to eat once things get rolling, with you interviewing Cora and then observing the different aspects of the event. She doesn't do things halfway, that's for sure."

So Broderick had done so, which brought him to the last reason on his list for having such a great time. The food was phenomenal. And he happened to be a typical male in his twenties that probably valued food way too much. Was that a crime?

Besides, as surprised as he was at how nice everything was, it all could go downhill once Cora arrived. So he told himself to enjoy the happy atmosphere while he could.

Just as he was telling himself this (and reaching for another brownie), he heard a voice state from near the door, "Ms. Bancroft, welcome!"

In response, a smooth, silvery voice said, "Thank you. I am so sorry to show up late like this. I hope everyone hasn't been waiting long."

Cursing silently that he wouldn't be able to eat the brownie now - or at least he couldn't and still maintain his professionalism - Broderick turned reluctantly from the table.

But when he did, it was all he could do to keep his composure.

To say that Cora Bancroft was attractive was an understatement.

Smooth, glowing skin. Full lips that were turned up into a smile, a smile that lit up her entire face. His gaze also took in how pretty her dark eyes were, framed by long lashes.

And to top it off, generous curves - although modestly contained in a classy shirtwaist dress.

Not wanting to reveal the thoughts going through his mind, Broderick quickly diverted his gaze, trying to make sense of his reaction.

It was a little silly, I mean, he had gotten glimpses of her on T.V. before. But he had to admit that in person, she was different.

She was _beautiful._

And with this profession, he had been around many beautiful women, models even. But there was something about Cora that was different, unique. He glanced at her again, wondering if he should approach her.

 _It wouldn't be very professional in the state I'm in; I'm sure to say or do something stupid. And I can't risk my job at this point. But WOW._

"Broderick, over here!"

He looked over at Mike who was beckoning him from the other side of the room. Making his way over to him, he forced his mind back to his job. He was here to gather information on Cora's new book and to interview her, not ogle her.

 _The interview. Sh*t. How am I supposed to manage that one?_

Mike's voice cut into his thoughts, "So let's introduce you to Cora so you can start to set up for the interview. She likes to get things done promptly and isn't used to waiting."

"Ok." Broderick heard himself say in a calm tone, and silently applauded himself for sounding so composed. Maybe he could handle this.

Mike turned to beckon her over, and Broderick forced his thoughts to what his boss' face would be if he didn't pull this off.

Forcing a smile on his face (ok, who was he kidding? Forcing?) he nodded at Cora as she approached.

"This is Broderick Wizard from Diamond Works." Mike explained. "We actually went to school together so I know that he will be an excellent interviewer."

Broderick flushed a little at his praise and hoped with everything in him that he hid it from the woman standing across from him.

"Mr. Wizard," Cora held out her hand, a smile forming on her ample lips, "It is so nice to meet you."

 _Oh, it's extremely nice to meet you too. Like you have no idea._ He thought, but kept his reply simple. "It's nice to meet you also."

"I've heard a lot of good things about your company too."

"Oh?" He said faintly, and then wanted to shake himself. Why was being around her making him feel like he was back in middle school? Clearing his throat, he said, "It's a great company to work for, and we are very honored to write this press release for you."

"Well," Still smiling, Cora turned slightly to include Mike in the circle, "I'm sure we'll be talking soon."

 _We will? What does that mean?_

Then he realized that she was probably referring to the interview and felt silly. Nodding, he managed to get out, "I'm looking forward to it."

Once she left, Mike addressed him, "See, she's really professional but a pleasant person. That's hard to find now, especially when the author is as famous as Cora is. You know she is the youngest Nobel Prize winner, right?"

Broderick remembered that detail from reading over the profile his boss sent him, but he had only skimmed it briefly before leaving to get here. Now, he wished that he had studied her bio more thoroughly. "I read that, yes. How old was she?"

"Fifteen years old. Quite an accomplishment."

"Wow. That's impressive." He stated honestly.

 _There's really not much of a chance of her returning your interest._ He thought. _But it would be nice to at least have her as an acquaintance. Or even as a friend._

He peeked at her again. She had returned to the man's side she had entered with, and he couldn't help but wonder her relation to him. Surely he was just someone who worked for her.

 _It's stupid to feel jealous. You barely know her._

But he really hoped to change that fact; and hopefully before they parted ways today.

* * *

Outwardly, Cora was listening to her manager, or at least was giving the appearance of listening. Inwardly, she was trying to figure out her interest in a certain Broderick Wizard. Noticing that he was still standing right beside Mike she looked at him again, this time studying him more closely.

Yes, he was attractive, but that wasn't the only reason she felt a pull towards him. Only she couldn't place it.

 _He's so...NORMAL._ She realized with a start. Was that it?

Having just turned 20 years old, with a Nobel Prize and many, many other awards for her books tucked under her belt, she hadn't had much time for romance. Not to mention the clues...but she forced her thoughts away from that. Today, she was Cora Bancroft, famous book author. Tomorrow she would go back to being a Janus, whose primary goal in life was to help her branch win the clue hunt. Not that the current branch leader was doing that great of a job-

"Cora?" Her manager's voice was enquiring.

Keeping a smile on her face, she turned to him, "I'm sorry Brett, what was that?"

"Are you ready for the interview? I believe that Mr. Wizard is ready, and then following that we can allow the audience to ask a few questions while he observes."

She nodded briskly, her professionalism rising to the surface. "Certainly. Lead the way."

 _You don't have time for dating._ She lectured herself. _Not only do you have an artistic cover to maintain to hide your progress with the clue hunt, but you have to figure out how to gain power from those who aren't doing the branch justice._

But as she followed Brett to the area the interview would be held in, there was one thought that couldn't be pushed down.

 _What if he gets it though? What if he found out the Janus secrets and all about the 39 clues and didn't run away? What if he helped me win instead?_

* * *

The interview was marvelous. Cora told herself that it _wasn't_ due to her attraction to the man conducting it; it was merely his balance of professionalism and enthusiasm in carrying it out - a difficult quality to find in interviewers these days.

After the cameras and their mics went off, Cora leaned over and gave Broderick a smile. Normally she didn't give praise out very easily but he deserved this statement.

"That was one of the best interviews I've taken part in. So thank you for the wonderful questions and for your knowledge and research."

To her surprise he flushed and looked down. "It was my pleasure."

But when he met her gaze again she wondered if she had imagined the embarrassment because his face was composed as he added, "You sound like a great author. I'm going to have to buy this book now."

Grinning so he would know that she wasn't serious, she asked, "So you've never read any of my books? I'm offended Mr. Wizard."

He returned the grin. "I do apologize Ms. Bancroft, I-"

"Call me Cora."

The sentence came out before she could stop it, but she didn't care. Watching his face, she was delighted to see no discomfort there.

"I will but only if you'll call me Broderick."

"You have yourself a deal." She stated. Then she wondered if she was being too flirty or forward. But she had grown up so fast and suddenly decided that she was allowed to have a moment like this.

"I promise I will read your book." The look on his face indicated that he was serious so she let out a little smile.

"Are you a reader?" She asked. "I know that you write of course, and are excellent at asking questions, but reading is a different story altogether.

"I used to read all of the time." He admitted. "But I got so busy pursuing my education and then moving up in the company I'm currently in that I didn't have much leisure time and stopped reading. Unless it was school or work-related of course."

 _A hard worker. That's bonus points. And he seems very educated._

Her Janus side loved this every bit as much as her non-Janus side enjoyed talking to him and sitting by him.

"Cora." Another voice broke in. Blinking at Brett, she shot him a questioning look, which he returned with a confused frown.

 _Oh right, he's not interrupting because I'm still working and have things to do._

She exchanged her look for an open smile. "Are we ready for the question and answer session?"

"Yes, the audience has a few questions and then we will want your closing comments." Brett explained, gesturing to the audience several yards away, whom Cora had honestly forgotten about.

Of course, her conversation with Broderick probably just looked like small talk to everyone else but still, she needed to be careful with her emotions and expressions.

Broderick stood, "I suppose that's my cue to exit the stage."

He turned to Brett, "Where do I sit to observe?"

Cora's manager pointed to a seat and Broderick turned to go. She bit her lip as she watched him at first but when she realized what she was doing, quickly turned back to Brett and refocused her attention on her job.

It was difficult at first but before long she was interacting with the audience and completely immersed in what she loved the most - being in the spotlight and having her hard work appreciated.

Finally, everything was over, her final statements made and the audience dismissed. Hoping that Broderick was still there, she glanced over, heart sinking when she noted the empty seat. But a quick glance over the room caught his form near the exit conversing with her manager. Pressing her lips together, she noticed that Broderick had all of his papers with him and looked like he was about to leave. And Brett would probably let him too, knowing that his work was complete.

She determinedly started his way, not really knowing what she was going to say but she knew that she had to say something.

"Hey Cora, great job!"

Her head jerked over to see Mike approaching. Throwing him an easy smile so he would know not to take her next move personally, she held up her hand, "Give me a moment please."

Mike's brow furrowed but he nodded. Without another word Cora made her way to the exit, noticing that Broderick's gaze caught her movement and stayed on her as she approached.

Brett turned too and gave her a puzzled smile. "Hello Cora, I was just thanking Mr. Wizard for the interview and making sure he had everything he needed for the press write-up."

"I appreciate it Brett." She said, and then turned her attention to the man standing beside him. "I would like to echo my manager's statement. Thank you Broderick."

She saw Brett start when she voiced his first name but he didn't say anything.

"It was my pleasure Cora." Broderick smiled at her, and Cora felt her heart leap in her chest.

Her reaction to him still confused her, but she wanted to get to know him more and wasn't about to let this just slide by. "Can I walk you out?" She asked boldly.

Grinning at her - a move that showcased his white teeth and nice smile - he agreed. "Yes you can."

He turned slightly so Cora took the opportunity to throw her manager a wink, just to let him know her intentions and that she wasn't completely crazy by walking an almost complete stranger out to his vehicle - something she had _never_ done before.

Brett threw her a surprised look but turned politely and walked back to Mike. Cora directed her attention back to Broderick, who had now picked up his folder and was smiling at her again.

"So, what kind of books did you read before you got too busy with life?" She asked him as they exited.

"Oh, a bit of everything but I admit I'm drawn to adventure novels. How about you?"

 _Adventure. Perfect._

Though her head was still on perfectly straight, she knew right then and there that she might possibly already be in love. Her primary purpose in life would always be the clue hunt, but why not allow her heart the leisure of romantic feelings? As long as they never got in the way of her goals, she could handle this just fine.

So turning and flashing the man beside her a smile, she permitted herself to fall, just a little.

* * *

 **This was a blast to write! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please drop me a review and tell me your take on this! (My writing or the couple in general ;) either one)**

 **P.S. I do welcome constructive criticism also! Even if it's over Cora's made-up last name (you have no idea how long I played around with names before I said 'screw it' haha)**

 **UP NEXT: Amy/Ian (got a brainstorm last night), Sinead/Jonah (I seriously love this one that's mostly written) and the Irina/Alistair follow-up I mentioned before. If there's something else you want me to write - either a couple OR a scenario (i.e. missing scene) let me know via pm or review!**


	7. Unexpected (Jonead)

**I thought the Amian one would be next but it's still not done - had kind of a writer's block - and this fic was ready so I switched the order. So anyways here is a one-shot about a pairing that is quickly moving up in the ranks as one of my favorites! I think Natan is still first though…or maybe a tie… *shrugs***

 **Oh, and I would just like to point out the fact that this collection of one/two shots is rated 'T'. I don't think any of my fics have actually made it up to this rating but this one has several implications (if it's offensive, please just skip over).**

* * *

 _ **Unexpected**_

Sinead Starling _wasn't_ having a good time.

But she supposed that was to be expected. Glaring around at the room, which was filled with her Cahill cousins, all she wanted to do was go find Amy - the only one not present at the moment - and choke her.

Sending a scowl in the direction of her cup instead, she wished for the millionth time that her cousin also wasn't a goody-goody and had allowed Sinead to supply alcohol.

 _It would have come in handy with this bunch. Then I wouldn't have to sit here and listen to all of the bickering, not to mention the most conceited person in the world._

Standing in the center of the room, decked out in gold chains and wearing baggy clothes and a snapback - all flashy of course - was the famous, well-known, very wealthy and _very_ 'stuck on himself' Jonah Wizard.

"Yo, so then I was all like-"

She made herself tune him out as she stood up abruptly and crossed the room. As she did so, she glared at the space in front of her so no one would stop her. So far, it had worked. While the rest of her cousins either pretended to like each other or squabble, Sinead had stayed out of everything. Instead she chose to nurse her soda in the corner while imagining the carbonated syrup to be something else and also imagining _being_ somewhere else.

The only one who caught her eye on her trek was Ned but all he did was smile at her before turning back to Dan. Sinead rolled her eyes as she heard the blonde Cahill yakking about his stupid karate classes as she passed. She liked Dan and Amy well enough, having lived with them the last few months, but today _everyone_ was irritating her.

And speaking of irritating, right next to her celebrity cousin in the 'most annoying people of the evening' category were the Kabras, who at the moment were complaining about the party.

"Who in the _world_ picked out the theme?" Natalie was saying to her brother, her nose wrinkled.

The British siblings were standing near the food and drink tables that were set up along the wall, dressed to the nines like they were about to attend a high-prestige event instead of a small party.

 _Really?_ Sinead thought, taking in their disdainful expressions as they surveyed the room. _Why did they even bother showing up at all?_

But she knew why. It was because Ian was dating Amy and probably was forced to attend like Sinead had been. Of course, Amy told her she didn't have to, but the girl was an expert at guilt-trips and Sinead hadn't been able to combat it. While she usually didn't give in, the Cahill siblings and her two brothers were her weak spots.

 _Never again though,_ she vowed silently, _will I be manipulated into something like this._

Refilling her glass with a sigh she turned back to reclaim her seat, only to have her heart sink as she took in the scene in front of her. Somehow everyone - with the exception of Ian and Natalie - had shifted and were now gathered in the middle of the floor, dancing to some horrible rendition of a Jay-Z song.

Normally this wouldn't bother Sinead, _if_ she would be able to get around them without speaking or crashing into anyone. But with the way the room was set up (not to mention the crazy way people were dancing) there wasn't any space to casually walk past. She would have to walk through the mass of bodies.

Now she could feel the anger start to rise in her chest again, mixing in with the frustration already present. WHERE was Amy? And how could she ditch Sinead knowing how much she hated stuff like this?

Taking a deep breath, she told herself that it would all be over soon (because as soon as she returned to her seat, she was getting her purse and escaping) and started across the room.

"Sinead!" Ted hollered at her from dancing by Madison. "You should dance with us!"

"Yeah, quit being a party pooper." Dan added, almost knocking into Sinead as she tried to slide through.

Putting what she hoped was a pleasant look on her face, she spoke through clenched teeth. "Dancing isn't really my thing."

It was a lie. She actually liked dancing. Just not today with all of these fake people who secretly just wanted power like the rest of their branches did.

Sinead tried to step around Dan but he blocked her again and this time she felt like it was on purpose. She opened her mouth to call him out but was halted by his next words.

"Don't be so uptight."

 _Uptight._

Suddenly, Sinead decided that keeping her mouth shut was overrated.

"Uptight?!" She snorted, trying to keep the volume of her voice down, but obviously failing. Almost everyone had stopped dancing and was staring at her.

"Look, this is the last place that I want to be, but here I am due to your sister and her stupid guilt-trips. So kindly let me past and let me continue on with my evening."

Dan made a face and she was shoving past him when another voice came from behind her.

"Whoa freak out much?" This came from Jonah, and there was laughter in his voice. "This is a party yo. Have some fun."

 _Just ignore him,_ she told herself, still shoving past bodies, almost to her goal.

"Sounds like someone needs to get laid."

At those words Sinead froze, feeling the blood drain from her face as she slowly turned to face him.

Dark eyes met her green ones. And while Sinead was sure hers had sparks shooting out of them his only held amusement...and, was that _challenge?_

Now she could feel rage channeling through her body as she took in his pose - chin lifted, smirk gracing his features - and suddenly all notions of ignoring him were thrown out the window.

"Excuse me?" The deadly calmness of her voice probably didn't mean anything to the wanna-be rapper, but Sinead caught the winces on her brothers faces and the wary looks on everyone else's.

"You heard me cuz. Just 'cause you aren't getting any don't mean-"

"You fricking *sshole!" She exploded on him, and was satisfied to see him flinch a little, although he schooled his features quick, eyeing her with the smirk still in place. "Just because I'm not a whore like _you_ doesn't give you the right to imply anything about me!"

"Whoa you got a mouth on you." Jonah looked impressed instead of insulted like he should have been.

Gritting her teeth Sinead decided to just go get her stuff and leave when he added, "Kinda hot."

Now she gaped at him, both horrified and something else she couldn't place. "Are y-you-" She stammered and then inhaled sharply, "You're _hitting_ on me?"

He shrugged lazily, and she tried not to let her eyes drift down to follow the movement unless he got the wrong idea and accused her of checking out his muscles. Which she was sure that he didn't have.

"Hey you're the one who seems like you need to loosen up. Just sayin', I can help. I'm a nice guy-"

Her laughter cut him off. Sure it was sarcastic laughter, but Sinead actually was using it to cover up both the shock at his suggesting what he was _and_ the thrill that shot through her at the challenge he had thrown her.

A lot of people probably didn't know it but Sinead was super competitive and couldn't stand it when someone else got the upper hand. This thought in mind, she stepped closer to Jonah, who had found his voice (no surprise there).

"Yo, so like I was saying imma pretty decent dude. I know how to show a girl a good time. No complaints anyways-"

"Please." Sinead scoffed, and noticed that Jonah's eyes caught her movement as she shifted closer. "You couldn't handle someone like me."

"Whatevs. You couldn _-_ "

But he was cut off again. And this time it was because Sinead - who had heard _enough_ of his voice to last a lifetime and was getting more pissed off by his attitude by the second - had launched herself at him and pressed her lips on his.

Immediately he stiffened and she could hear the gasps and curses going around the room at her move just as she knew her brothers were probably about to _murder_ her, but her focus wasn't on any of that. She had something to prove, and as she thrust her tongue in the rappers mouth - holding his head in place - she worked on getting the upper hand.

It was easy at first since he was still frozen (her guess would be from shock) but it didn't take long for him to respond, trying to fight her for dominance while wrapping his arms around her back.

Sinead was surprised to note that while he was kissing her as aggressively as she was kissing him, the hands that were around her were gentle as they tugged her closer to his body.

 _He's just trying to throw me off._ She decided. _I can't let that happen either._

She changed tactics, slowing down as she pushed her body back against his. At feeling that he _was_ in fact more toned then she had thought and at hearing his soft moan she decided that the game had gone on long enough and pulled back in one swift motion.

Her breathing was ragged and so was his, but when he opened his eyes they were unsteady, staring into hers in confusion like he had no idea what had just happened.

Sinead allowed a smirk to take over her lips as the feeling of victory coursed through her and she saw the moment Jonah snapped to. A nonchalant expression crossed his face as he crossed his arms in front of him, but it was too late.

Making sure her voice was steady, she said, "You definitely couldn't handle me Wizard."

It came out soft instead of hard like she wanted it to but she was proud of how composed she sounded. His eyes flickered at the nickname, but his face remained calm as his eyes still bored into hers and then slowly a smile crossed his face.

"I like challenges."

Her heart flipped at the statement that came from his lips and she wasn't sure what to do then.

But she was saved from responding by the sound of the door opening and Amy's hesitant voice saying, "Um, is everything ok in here?"

"If you call my sister _making_ out with Jonah Wizard 'ok'-" Sinead winced at Ted's appalled voice and turned to look at him as he finished, -"then sure."

She met his eyes and saw both shock _and_ anger in them. Realizing then how her move and the response from Jonah must have looked to everyone else, she barely held in the blush from spreading across her cheeks. What had come over her? She usually was never impulsive like that. Desperately needing some air she looked at Amy, who was staring back at her in amazement, her jade-green eyes like saucers.

"Y-you? And Jonah?"

Sinead rolled her eyes. "I was just winning an argument, that's all."

She walked over to the corner to retrieve her purse and feeling everyone's eyes on her - and feeling the need to _appear_ unaffected - she couldn't help but add, "It was actually kind of fun."

Glancing at Jonah and taking in his arrogant gaze, she raised her eyebrows at him and then let her expression scan over the others. "I'm going to the store. I need liquor."

And then, leaving Amy with her jaw dropped, she flounced out of the room.

 _Well, that was…unexpected._

* * *

 **Another original title haha**

 **I wrote this FOREVER ago but it's one of my favorite one-shots! (And also one of my shortest *sweats*)**

 **SHOUT OUT to everyone who is reviewing! Reviews sort of just make my day :) - AND they motivate me to write more!**

 **Amian one should be uploaded within a week!**


	8. Impulsive Ramifications (Amian)

**So I was going real old-school with my music one night and the song 'My All' came on by Mariah Carey. I listened to it almost all the way through and suddenly got inspiration for an Amian fic. I really hope it isn't too mushy... *winces***

* * *

 _ **Impulsive Ramifications**_

* * *

 _I can see you clearly_

 _Vividly emblazoned in my mind_

 _And yet you're so far_

 _Like a distant star_

 _I'm wishing on tonight_

 _~ My All (Mariah Carey)_

* * *

Amy frowned and turned off the song midway through. Normally it wouldn't affect her - music not really being something she emotionally connected to - but tonight those lyrics were the last thing she needed.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned back to her desk and stared at her computer. A pointless gesture, as there was nothing to do.

 _Nothing to do. Nothing to be done at this point._

She was thinking about the new threat from the Vespers, delivered just yesterday via a coded message to all of the branches. When Fiske had received it he had immediately alerted her and Dan and then asked for their assistance in decoding it. Amy still remembered how her heart had been thumping in her chest the entire time. And when they finally got the message, it hadn't given them much. A vague threat stating that they would soon be on the move to get the serum, and that if their branch valued their loved ones they would comply with the orders. That was it - just a threat and now more apprehension on everyone's shoulders.

As soon as they realized that there was nothing to be done (all tracing attempts had come up with nothing) and the other branches reported the same message sent to them, Amy had called Ian.

Ian. Her boyfriend of about seven months. It was actually going pretty well, though Amy had her doubts at times. The long-distance was hard and they both were so busy. Not to mention Amy still had trouble trusting him.

 _He hasn't given you a reason to not trust him._ She told herself. _But you barely see him. Who knows how much he even thinks of you? He says he does but what if it's just words?_

Since the disastrous camping trip when they had started dating, Amy and Ian had only seen each other a handful of times due to their schedules. The longest time they had spent together had been four days in the summer, and that was because Ian had business in the states. Of course the circumstances made it hard to spend a lot of time with him.

But he claimed to miss her all of the time. Amy reflected back now to their phone conversation late last night.

 **-Flashback-**

" _Hello Amy." Ian's voice came through the phone after only the second ring._

" _Hey." She bit her lip, wondering if she should have called him when he was sure to be busy after all of the happenings of the day. "Are you busy?"_

" _Not too busy to talk to you."_

 _The sincerity could be heard in his voice, but she thought she might hear some stress there too._

" _Are you ok?" Was her next question, then she followed it with a laugh. "What a stupid question."_

 _Ian chuckled but answered in a mild tone. "As well as can be expected, I guess. How are you? I heard that you and Dan were quite the sleuths today. I think you two may have figured it out quicker than anyone else from the other branches."_

 _Amy shrugged, even though she knew he couldn't see. She didn't really care who figured it out first and knew that Ian probably didn't either. The other branches might be another story though._

" _I wish they would just come out and do whatever they have planned!" She let it out in a rush. "I hate sitting around waiting for an attack you know? I try to be prepared but what if they get Dan or Nellie or Fiske or-"_

 _She caught herself before she said the word that had been next on her tongue, 'or_ _ **you**_ _'._

" _I know." The frown could be heard in Ian's voice, "I hate it too Amy."_

 _Then he sighed, "I wish you were here. It wouldn't have been as stressful today that's for sure."_

 _This surprised her. Ian normally didn't admit to being stressed out. Instead he always tried to come across as calm and confident. But she knew that being the branch leader of the Lucians was a tough job, especially following in the wake of everything that had happened with Isabel._

" _Oh?" She couldn't help but ask. "How would I have made it better, by decoding the message faster?"_

 _Now he laughed fully. "Did you really just ask me that Amy? No, I miss you. As in, just your presence here would have made me a lot happier and less stressed out."_

 _Amy flushed at his words and was glad that he couldn't see it. Swallowing, she clutched the phone tighter to her ear - as if that would make him closer or something - and admitted, "I really miss you too. And I wish I would have been there too. Or you would have been here."_

 _It was quiet for a minute, then he said in a soft voice, "I hate the long-distance. Really hate it."_

 _Her heartbeat skipped at his words; they were so closely aligned to what she thought most of the time when dwelling on their relationship. But she answered in what she hoped was a light tone, "Yeah but there's a break coming up right?"_

" _If you are referring to Christmas, that's still two months away."_

 _Ian sounded annoyed and she couldn't help but smile at the pout in his voice. "Maybe something will work out where we can get together sooner."_

 _After that the topic had turned to other things, and nothing more had been said regarding their relationship._

 _ **-End Flashback-**_

Now Amy glanced at the clock on her desk - 8:58. That meant it would be almost two in the morning in London, probably too late to call her boyfriend again. Sometimes Ian was up that late but he hadn't returned any of her texts sent four hours ago. Not that she expected him to but normally he answered them the moment he received them.

 _He was probably wore out from all of the stress and went to sleep. And right when I miss him so much too._

She almost shook her head at her own thoughts, feeling silly.

 _That stupid song just made everything worse. Now I'm all lonely and depressed and I hate feeling this way. He's busy and I am too so I'm going to have to get a grip._

A knock at the door made her jump, but she was relieved at the chance of a distraction. She got up and opened it to see Nellie standing there, a funny look on her face.

"Hey, come downstairs for a minute will ya?"

The older girl didn't wait for a reply, turning and disappearing down the hallway before Amy could ask her what was up. Hoping that it wasn't anything bad - like something else from the Vespers - she followed her slowly, trying to brace herself.

But when she got to the bottom of the stairs, all she could do was gape at the figure standing in her living room.

"Ian?" She whispered, halting on the last step and staring at him.

She had to be hallucinating. There was no way that her boyfriend was _here,_ all the way from London when there was so much currently going on. But after blinking several times, she realized that he was, in fact, still standing in front of her.

"Hey love." The smile he shot her was both happy and sincere, and without saying anything else she walked right up to him and wrapped her arms around him.

He returned the embrace immediately and Amy tried to speak but found that she couldn't. So she just gripped him tighter and pressed his lips against his neck, hoping that her actions would say enough.

"Well, Dan and I will just be somewhere else-" Nellie started.

Her brother was in the room? Amy hadn't even noticed his presence.

"We will?" Dan cut in but then fell silent and Amy could hear two pairs of feet fading in the distance.

The silence continued for a bit, and then it was broken by Ian's smooth voice. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good." Her voice came out rough so she cleared her throat and tried again. "I'm just really surprised that you're here. Don't you have a lot of stuff-"

She felt his finger on her lips and stopped, flustered at the gesture.

"There's not really anything to do." He explained. "Besides, I missed you and wanted to see you."

Amy frowned and pulled back slightly to look up at him. Her heart started beating a little faster at the warm look in his dark eyes but she still retorted, "That's all? You wanted to see me?"

She knew that she was challenging him but couldn't help it. Was it wrong for her to want to know how deep his feelings were for her?

Instead of answering the question, he studied her face for a minute and then looked towards the door. "Let's talk more when we get to where we're going."

The subject change threw Amy for a second and she didn't know what to say. Was he trying to get away from her question or did he just want to postpone it? But then his words sank in and she realized that they were going outsomewhere, which made her suddenly aware of her current state.

She was wearing sweatpants, her hair was probably a royal _mess,_ and the only makeup she had on was a little mascara. Mentally kicking herself for not making herself more presentable upstairs - even though she hadn't known it would be Ian - she quickly left his embrace.

"Ok, give me a minute." She barely kept her tone even, wanting desperately to find a mirror so she could see how she looked to him but not wanting to at the same time.

Cursing internally for even _caring_ about such frivolous matters, she left him standing there and started for the steps.

"Wait, where are you going?" He asked, making her frown in disbelief and turn.

"I can't go anywhere looking like _this_." She pointed out.

Again, incredulity coursed through her as her boyfriend looked at her, puzzlement crossing his features.

"You look great to me."

Now she flushed again, the comment catching her off-guard. "I'm wearing sweats."

He still looked confused. Geez, was he going to make her point out everything? But understanding was the next emotion displayed on Ian's face and Amy decided to not wait around for his commentary. She thought it was strange though that Ian Kabra - who probably knew a lot more about fashion than she did - didn't even notice his _girlfriend_ looking so unkempt.

Hurrying up the stairs, she ran into her room and changed into nice jeans and a sweater. She had no idea where they were going but with how cool the night was she decided that comfort trumped fashion. Besides, he had just seen her at her worst.

Her hair was next. Running a brush through it and putting just a little product in to hopefully keep it from becoming too frizzy, she was done in seconds. Amy hesitated upon glancing at her makeup and then decided to go without it, save the mascara she already had on.

 _He's seen me on video calls without it. And besides, I'll feel more comfortable this way._

She took a deep breath, grabbed her purse, and went back down the stairs, this time trying to appear more put-together.

Ian was still standing where she had left him and his eyes met hers the instant she returned.

"So this trip was a little last-minute." He said, "I got here via taxi from the airport so we'll have to take your car."

"That's fine, I don't mind driving." She assured him. Barely refraining from adding, _'I'm just glad you're here with me'_ she smiled at him and headed to the door.

Amy felt him grab her hand to halt her before she got to the door though. Opening it, he gestured her through it first. She bit her lip to contain her smile and walked through, but waited for him on the porch.

"Oh, and you look lovely in that sweater." Ian stated. "Not that you didn't before of course."

"Thank you." She said simply, resisting the urge to point out her prior condition again. Glancing at him and taking in his appearance - khakis and a button-up shirt - she said a bit dryly, "You look good too, like always."

Ian shrugged but she thought he lit up a little at her comment.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Amy asked as they approached the car. Then she smirked, reaching into her purse for her keys. "Since I'm driving I guess you'll have to."

A laugh and a jingling sound brought her gaze to Ian, who was holding up _her_ keys.

She gaped at him, pausing on the sidewalk "How did you get those?"

"A Lucian doesn't give away his secrets." Ian said, his own smirk crossing his face.

Part of Amy wanted to smack him. The other part kind of thought it was sweet that he wanted to drive her on their date. But then the logical side of her kicked in.

"Um Ian, you can't legally drive here can you?"

At his look she rolled her eyes. "What am I saying? You probably have a fake driver's license for every state in the U.S."

"You catch on quick." The smile rang in his voice. "Now we should go, we're wasting precious time."

Deciding to spare him the lecture and save herself the breath, she climbed in the car, smiling when he walked around with her to open her door.

But instead of getting in himself, he told her to close her eyes for a minute.

"What? Why?" She questioned.

"Just do it please. Count to 60 and then you can open them."

Amy hated giving in but he looked at her with pleading eyes and she found herself caving. "Fine. But I'm counting fast."

Ian let out a little laugh but he obviously hurried - she could tell by the sound of his feet scrambling away. Her curiosity grew even more when she heard him return the same way, and then heard the trunk open and close, but she didn't say anything until she heard Ian get back into the car.

"Ok, you can open them now."

"I was on 56 anyways." She said dryly.

Again, he let out a laugh but didn't comment further.

"So," Amy glanced over once they had backed out of the driveway. "You aren't going to tell me where we are going I suppose."

"You suppose correctly."

"Will you at least tell me why you're doing this?" She couldn't help but ask the question that had been burning on the inside of her since leaving his embrace in her living room minutes ago.

Ian looked perplexed. "Why?"

Amy let out an impatient sigh and replied, "Why you jumped in a plane and flew across the ocean on an impulse. Or at least I'm guessing it was an impulsive decision."

He started to speak but she kept on, "I know you said you 'missed me' but you've never done anything like this before. And it's not like you to just drop everything."

She wanted to add ' _for me'_ at the end of that sentence but she didn't. Instead she stared at him, wanting answers.

Ian didn't say anything for a second, but his reply was laced with honesty. "It was sort of impulsive I guess. But I was being truthful when I stated earlier that I came because I missed you."

"Really?" She smiled as she asked, but he frowned.

"Why do you keep saying stuff like that? Of course, 'really'. After I hung up the phone last night I decided that we both could use some time away from everything, hence me coming here to take you out on a date."

Amy's heart fluttered at how sincere he sounded but Ian wasn't done. "You sounded so stressed out and worried and I wanted to do something to make you feel better."

It took a minute for Amy to find her voice, his words washing over her.

"Ian, that's so sweet." She finally whispered, looking over at him. He was looking at the traffic so it was a bit easier for her to add, "I hope that it makes you feel better too."

"Spending time with you? Of course it does."

Now she really didn't know how to respond. Yes, Ian said nice things on the phone and through messaging all the time but he had been so busy the last few months that Amy had felt doubts start to creep in. But him saying something like he just did _while_ he was acting on it…

It wasn't long before Ian pulled up in front of 'Menton', a high-class restaurant near downtown Boston. But instead of parking or using the valet service he picked up his phone, made a phone call that he had arrived, and within seconds there was someone at the window with food. Amy eyed her boyfriend but he was busy with paying to notice, and then busy with passing the bag to her. "Do you mind holding this?"

"No?" She made it sound like a question but he didn't take the hint. Either that or he was ignoring her. Amy decided to go with the later, but decided not to pursue it.

 _I would be wasting my breath. He's enjoying this entirely too much as it is without me asking more questions that he probably isn't going to answer._

So she stayed quiet for the next few minutes, and so did he, the atmosphere in the car almost bordering on awkwardness. Ian seemed to be thinking - his brow furrowed and a contemplative look on his face - so she didn't want to break into his thoughts. At the same time, Amy really wanted to talk to him about everything, including their relationship. But something held her back.

 _I don't know if I want to push it at this point of the evening. We've barely started this 'mystery' date and I kind of want to just enjoy my time with him while it lasts, without any arguments OR him saying stuff I don't want to hear. What if I ask him how serious we are and he backs off? Or thinks my timing sucks with everything going on? And I'm not sure I want to talk about the Vespers either. I'm so tired of being stressed out over them._

She let her thoughts trail as she realized the route they were on was taking them to a suburb of the city, away from the downtown area.

Not being able to help herself, she spoke up and enquired, "Where are we going?"

Ian only shot her a look, his lips pressed together, but she could see a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Let's talk about something else to get your mind off of our destination." He suggested.

Amy rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fine, since you want to be difficult and all. How is the Lucian branch Ian?"

He ignored her sarcasm and answered calmly, "Good. How are the Madrigals Amy?"

Or maybe he _didn't_ ignore it exactly, just decided to match instead of challenge it. Crossing her arms (as well as she could while holding their food anyways) she replied snarkily, "Good."

Now his smile was full-fledged, but he turned his attention to the intersection he was crossing before looking back at her. "I take it you don't like surprises?"

Amy shrugged. "Normally they're fine but-

 _I'm trying to figure you out more than our destination,_ she wanted to finish with, but again held her tongue.

"Well we're almost there. And you'll love this surprise." He promised.

To Amy's extreme annoyance, Ian was right. Almost right away she recognized the area they were pulling into, and by the time he parked the car her heart was already picking up.

And it wasn't picking up merely from excitement over the location or because she _loved_ Corey Hill Outlook, but because Ian _drove_ up the hill. "Um, Ian, people get mad if you park-"

She was cut off by him rolling his eyes and saying airily, "Well they can't expect us to _walk_ up the hill, can they?"

"Actually they do. There's even an entire website devoted to letting people know to keep the cars off so the runners-"

"Amy." Ian stated calmly. "It's nearly ten o'clock at night. _Who_ in their right mind would run up here?"

She huffed out a breath. "A lot of people."

"There's no one up here presently. Besides, I would just tell them to run along to another hill. Now," He smiled slightly, "wait there so I can get your door."

Ian was out the car before she could protest and within seconds was opening her door and gesturing for her to exit the car also. She tried to hide her 'aww' expression from him but he must have caught it because he glanced away, but not before she noticed his cheeks reddening.

Amy was so taken aback by it that she stood there motionless for a moment, before Ian cleared his throat and said, "Ok, so you have the food?"

He didn't even give her a chance to respond, already disappearing behind the car where he had just opened the trunk.

 _Was he embarrassed by my reaction?_ She thought, mystified. Ian blushing was something new. He _always_ seemed to keep his composure while she was the one falling apart. Deciding to not confront it (in case he got defensive) she simply joined him, eyeing the items he was pulling out.

A blanket and a picnic basket. Items to be expected for a picnic, but Amy was beginning to realize that for a 'last-minute' trip, her boyfriend had obviously put thought and effort into this. Her heart fluttered at the thought and she couldn't help but be touched.

"Where should we sit?" Ian was asking, so she forced her thoughts to a location, and easily found one. It wasn't like the outlook was that roomy, but they picked a spot near the edge where they could see the Boston skyline.

The cool months had their perks. During the summer the view was blocked by the trees, but an early winter storm had wiped away all of the leaves from the branches, leaving a beautiful outline of the city below them.

"Hmm you can see the stars really well from up here." Ian mused from beside her.

Amy glanced over at him but if he had been looking up he wasn't now, instead spreading the blanket out on the grass.

"Here, I can help." She volunteered, moving towards him but he was shaking his head.

"I've got it love. You may start relaxing though." Ian gestured down at one side of the blanket.

She hesitantly did so, feeling weird that he was doing all of the work. But it didn't take him long to arrange the food. Then he reached behind him and pulled out the picnic basket.

"What's in that?" Amy asked, noting that it looked pretty full.

"Music-" Ian pulled out an iPod and speakers with a flourish -"and a small cooler with our drinks. Also I had backup cutlery in case the restaurant forgot and I happened to forget to check."

She didn't say anything else as he started the music, handed her a drink and then picked up his phone and turned on his flashlight app. Giving her a rueful look he stated, "I suppose I should have thought to bring candles, but it didn't hit me until just now."

"It's fine." Amy said quickly, not wanting him to feel bad for something so minor when he had thought of everything else. "All this is already perfect, really."

They started eating, and Amy was surprised at how good the food was. It was all fancy of course, but she hadn't been expecting it to taste great too. The sudden increase in her and Dan's wealth hadn't changed much as far as their diet was concerned, and they still hadn't visited some of Boston's finer eateries.

"This food is amazing." Amy said, causing Ian to let out a smile.

"You've probably never had it, have you?" He asked, but before she could respond he added, "I didn't think so and that's why I picked it. I'm glad you like it."

"You really thought this out, didn't you?"

Ian shifted on the blanket and looked out over the skyline instead of at her. "I had a lot of time on the plane to plan. And I wanted us to get away at a quiet place. It's not like we've had that lately."

Amy didn't comment as she finished her food, all the while trying to think of a way to bring up the topic that was burning inside of her, _why_ was he doing this? Once they finished eating and Ian started setting everything to the side, she decided that it was time.

"So are you finally going to explain all of this?" Amy asked, gesturing down at the blanket, then around the area.

"What's to explain? I thought we both could use time away from the worries associated with being a Cahill, and what better way than to go out on a date?"

"Ian, can I ask you something else?" Suddenly, she wanted everything out in the open so she added, "About our relationship?"

His face froze, but he agreed. "Of course love."

"How deep do your feelings really run for me? Are they so strong that you did all of this for me or was this just something you decided to do for fun?"

Her boyfriend looked almost insulted, so she added, "I'm not necessarily questioning that you _have_ feelings for me. You tell me all the time, but we've barely spent any time together and it's hard for me to just…"

"Believe me?"

 _Yep. This was a horrible idea. He's ticked off now._

"Amy, I thought I already made it clear how much I like you. Do you think I'm playing games with you?"

"Um…"

"You do." Ian stood up abruptly.

"Wait," Amy stood too and grasped his arm, guilt pouring over her. "Ian, I didn't mean it like that."

He halted but still looked hurt. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain. "It's the distance. It's so dang hard to be far away from you and sometimes you're so hard to read! And I don't know what you're thinking and we've barely went out on any dates-"

"Which is why I came here tonight." Ian cut her off. "I know all of that. It's hard for me too Amy. But," He hesitated briefly then went on, "You said when we first started dating that you wanted to take it slow, remember? So I've been trying not to let things get serious. We've only been dating seven months and we've both been busy. Besides, I tell you all the time how much I miss you and wish you were with me."

A warm feeling settled over Amy at his words, a calmness as she watched him talk and realized how much he meant the words. "I know. I do trust you Ian, or at least I'm starting to realize that I do. I guess I just was struggling with doubts. Not just about our relationship but how we're going to make this work."

"I think", Ian said slowly, "That it's a good thing I came here tonight."

And then to her astonishment he chuckled.

"What's so amusing?" She asked, searching for humor in this discussion and not finding it.

"I was a little worried too. I didn't doubt anything on _my_ side, but I was wondering in a way if you were feeling them. About me."

Amy was confused for a second, then her eyes widened and she looked at him more closely. Ian didn't meet her eyes directly, but it didn't take long for her to realize what he was feeling.

 _Insecurity?_

Now it was her turn to laugh, "Ian, I really like you, ok? I'm not planning to break up with you or anything, if that's what you were worried about. My doubts were more centered on how you feel for _me._ "

Ian looked at her then, and the humor instantly fled from Amy's mind as she locked gazes with him. His face was so intense, and her breath caught when he moved closer to her. But instead of kissing her he took her arm and lowered them both back down on the blanket. Then he turned towards the skyline and wrapped her into a side hug.

"I'm crazy about you Amy Cahill."

The words sent a rush of pleasure through her, and she didn't hesitate before responding. "I'm sort of crazy about you too."

She felt his lips against her hair and let out a smile, contentment channeling through her.

"So now what?" She whispered after a few seconds of peaceful silence.

"Now we just take it from here. Both of us are on the same page and the next time"- Ian paused, turning slightly to look her in the eye, -"either of us have doubts we share them with each other. Deal?"

"Deal." Amy said, and was going to say something else but her boyfriend's lips cut her off.

She found that she didn't mind this interruption though, Ian knew how to kiss, and she wasn't going to complain.

"Were you saying something?" He asked, after he finally back away.

"No." Amy stated firmly, tugging him back to her, "Not at all."

* * *

 **So I hoped everyone liked it! I'll admit that at first this song made me think of a different pairing but when I got to the line - "** **And yet you're so far/Like a distant star/I'm wishing on tonight" - I immediately pictured Amy sitting in her room, trying not to think about how far away Ian was and missing him. Then I thought it would be a great follow-up to 'Chaotic Relations'. :)**


	9. Lines Fade, Walls Fall - Pt 1 (Jonead)

**This one is a follow-up to my 'Unexpected' oneshot. It's pretty long so I'm turning it into a two-shot.**

 **Warning: The 'T' rating is even stronger...**

* * *

 _ **Lines Fade, Walls Fall**_

It hadn't been a very good day starting out, but it was suddenly looking up.

Jonah Wizard smirked at his reflection in the mirror, admiring the one-of-a-kind jacket that was worn by Michael Jackson in his 'Thriller' video, but now belonged to him.

The jacket was valued around 1.8 million - pocket change for him of course - but enough money to raise most people's eyebrows.

 _Yo I'm totally the bomb. And totally ready for my performance tonight._

He had been looking forward to this show for ages, one of the biggest tributes for MJ planned to date. And it would be starring him at the forefront, both opening _and_ closing the show with songs and dances.

A smile spread across his face at the thought of the publicity this would bring him - not that he needed it, but still, it was nice. Jonah pretty much lived for applause and publicity. He loved hearing people scream when he walked on stage, loved getting great reviews in magazines, and loved the adoration his fans showered on him.

His thoughts were cut off by his cell phone ringing, not an unusual thing for someone with his busy career, but the ringtone was one that he reserved for family. Frowning, he reached into his pocket and saw that it was from Amy. He had no idea why she would be calling him, but shrugged to himself and answered it.

"Yo, Wiz here."

"Jonah, thank goodness you answered." Her voice sounded stressed and rough, almost like she had been crying or something.

Frowning, his voice turned serious as he tried to think of a reason why, then just decided to ask. "Why? What's goin' on?"

"Uhhh, Ned's in the hospital. And it's not good."

 _Ned. Hospital._

"What do ya mean, not good?" He demanded, heart dropping in his chest at the thought of Ned, _and_ Ned's redheaded sister.

"Not good as in he had a horrible seizure and now isn't responding. The doctors aren't sure if he will make it or not."

Jonah's brain went into shock. Not make it? As in, he could die?

Amy was talking, though he could barely process what she was saying. "A lot of family is here and the rest of our cousins are on their way. Sinead doesn't know I'm calling you right now, she said you have a big thing tonight. But Jonah, she's barely keeping it together."

The worry in Amy's voice was evident, which made Jonah worry even more. Sinead, the person that he was in the middle of an, uh, _affair_ with was one of the most composed persons he knew. They had been hooking up casually ever since she had kissed him in the middle of Amy's party five months ago, but nothing more than that.

He heard silence on the other end and realized that his cousin was probably waiting on a response from him. "Um, wow." He didn't know what else to say, his brain still trying to catch up.

"Yeah, I thought you would want to know." Amy answered, her voice softer now and losing some of its urgency. "I don't know why she was so against contacting you. She flipped out when I mentioned it."

"Well it's not like we talk regularly." He answered awkwardly, not knowing how much Sinead had revealed to Amy, her best friend and roommate. The only time they talked was when he called her to let her know he was close by, or if she was frustrated at something and needed an outlet. It wasn't an ideal relationship, but it worked, sort of.

"You've been dating right?" Amy's voice sounded confused. "I mean, she hasn't said anything directly, but I know she's gone off to meet you."

"Uh, we aren't exactly _dating,_ " He hedged, hating that he was being forced to say it out loud.

 _You want to date her though. You've wanted to for months now._ The nagging voice inside his head told him.

And it was true. At first, Jonah just liked the challenge that Sinead presented, and of course the sex was great. But she was slowly becoming more than just an 'enemy with benefits' to him. They actually had some great conversations - though rarely it happened - and while she kept him at a distance there were a few times that Jonah sensed she wanted more too.

 _Too bad you're too much of a chicken to bring it up to her._

But the logical part of him spoke up, _you know that she would just shut down and run. Then you wouldn't even have her at all._

"Still," Amy said firmly. "I thought you should know. Like I said, I know you have that big performance tonight, but maybe you could slip up here tomorrow. The doctors-" it sounded like she took a deep breath -"well, they aren't sure if he'll make it through the night."

 _Not make it through the night. Poor Sinead. And Ned. And Ted. And all of the Starlings._

"I don't care 'bout the show. I'll be there as soon as I can." He heard himself saying.

The surprising part was, he meant it. Not taking the time to let himself digest this or what it meant (that he was willing to sacrifice a huge moment in the spotlight and being a part of probably one of the biggest shows of the decade), he got the necessary details from Amy and hung up and called his dad.

Forty-five minutes later he was standing on a private runway, waiting for his jet to finish getting prepped for flying, his dad's words echoing in his head.

" _Son, you CANNOT miss tonight! Ned wouldn't even know it if you were up there or not, and the Starlings surely would understand. I'll arrange for you to fly out right after the show-"_

But Jonah had cut him off, insisting that he had to be there for his cousins, and his dad had finally relented though Jonah could hear the disappointment in his voice.

 _I don't care though. There'll be other shows. I gotta make sure she's ok._

Yep, he was a sucker. Throwing away a huge moment in the spotlight for a _girl_ , and one that seemed like she hated him at that. They had such a weird relationship, one moment caught up in kissing and other stuff, the next moment hurling insults like they couldn't stand each other. But Jonah knew that Sinead put up a front most of the time, just like he did.

Finally after what seemed like forever he was boarding the plane. After he buckled in he decided to put in some music and try to shut his brain down, not wanting to think about what he was doing and the reasons behind it.

* * *

When he arrived at the hospital late that evening, he wasn't sure really what to do. What could he say, that he was worried about Sinead (a person that was just supposed to be someone he messed around with) so much that he rushed up here?

 _That wouldn't be good. Sinead would flip. I gotta pretend that I'm here for Ned alone._

Sure, he wanted Ned to be ok, just like he was sure his other cousins did. But deep down, he knew the sole purpose for him being here right now wasn't for the one laying in the hospital bed. Pushing down the guilty feelings over the thought, he walked up to the private waiting room of the huge, 10-story hospital in Baltimore, the place they had airlifted Ned only this morning.

He wasn't sure why the privacy, but he was relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about being recognized in a hospital of all places. Keeping his head ducked down and his expensive jacket securely wrapped around him, he didn't look up until he opened the door he was directed to.

The first thing he noticed was that Sinead wasn't in the room, but practically everyone else was. The only one that looked up when he entered though was Amy, and he saw relief fall over her features.

"Jonah!" She said as she stood up and came over to him, wrapping him into a light hug.

"Hey," was all he managed to get out, thrown-off by the gesture. But he returned the hug, thinking that Amy probably needed it just as much as anyone else did.

Upon releasing her he saw that the other occupants of the room were staring at him. All three of the Holts, Dan, Nellie, and Ted were present. The only ones that he didn't see were the Kabras, but Jonah was sure that was due to them living so far away.

As if reading his thoughts Reagan spoke up, "Well, that's everyone but Ian and Natalie, who are on their way."

The pink-haired girl sitting next to her kept staring at him though, scrutinizing him until he felt like one of his posters or something. "Aren't you supposed-"

But he was saved by voices behind him as they entered the room. One of them he didn't recognize, and one of them he did, all too well.

"You need to rest Sinead," The male voice was saying, only to be cut off by a "If you think I'm going to go _sleep_ when Ned might _die_ then you're crazy!"

The two individuals walked right by Amy and Jonah, not even seeming to notice them. But that was ok with Jonah; it gave him time to observe Sinead while everyone else was distracted.

The first thing he noticed is that she looked tired, haggard, her face strained even while her eyes were flashing at the guy she had entered with - probably her dad, given his age and the auburn tint of his hair. The next thing that he noticed is that she was as beautiful as ever regardless of her exhausted state, with her hair tumbling over her shoulders and prepped out in khakis and a figure-flattering dark purple shirt.

His eyes followed her as she and her dad walked over in the direction Ted was sitting, and it was then that Jonah noticed another person in the room he had missed in his glance-over a few seconds ago. She was an older woman - a brunette and not auburn-haired like the rest of her family - but when Jonah caught sight of her eyes, he knew that this was undoubtedly Sinead's mother. A brilliant green and laced with intelligence, they were also flashing in the direction of the two approaching her. He was thrown by it at first, but realized that he was starting to gape and composed his features quickly, knowing that he would be noticed at any minute.

"Don't talk like that." Mrs. Starling said firmly, even as she gently placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders after she stood up to face her. "Ned's tough. I believe that he will make it through this and be as good as new in no time."

Jonah smiled a little as he saw Sinead's shoulders relax, but froze when Sinead's dad looked over and caught sight of him.

"Oh, another guest. You're family right? You look a little familiar."

Now Sinead turned, and Jonah saw the curiosity leave her eyes and be replaced with shock as she realized that he was here. He focused on her father though, almost glad that he had spotted him first.

"Yeah, I'm a cousin. Janus branch." He said quickly, forcing the words out and hoping that he looked calm as he said them.

"W-what," Sinead said, bringing his eyes back to her face. Instead of finishing the sentence though, she narrowed her eyes at him, and then over to his right where Amy was.

Nellie spoke up again, "Yeah, I was just about to ask why he was here right as you walked in." She turned to the Starlings, explaining, "Jonah was supposed to perform at the big Michael Jackson tribute that's been advertised for _months_ now." She said it like it was a huge deal (which it was, but Jonah didn't want it to seem like one now).

"Oh, that's right." Mr. Starling's face cleared, "You're the celebrity of the family. What do you do, hip-hop and stuff?"

"Yeah he does." Hamilton piped up, answering for Jonah "He's probably the biggest star on the planet right now."

Dan was frowning as he gave Jonah a weird look. "Hey weren't you supposed to open _and_ close the show tonight too?"

"I canceled when I found out about Ned." He said briefly, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a major thing for him to do, still a little worried that Sinead was about to explode on him. She was looking at Amy like she wanted an explanation though and ignoring him, so he relaxed a little.

"You canceled on an event like that?" Mrs. Starling looked touched, coming over towards him. He wasn't sure what she was doing but he found out when she pulled him tightly to her like he was her own son or something. "Thanks honey, you didn't have to but it's so sweet that you did."

Jonah didn't think he had ever felt this uncomfortable - having Sinead's mother hugging him and calling him 'honey' - but he awkwardly returned it, muttering, "No biggie."

 _If she knew that I was screwing her daughter, she wouldn't be thanking me._ He thought with a pang of guilt. Of course, 'screwing' was a bit harsh, considering that the last few months he had actually starting terming it the old-fashioned way, 'making love'.

The first few times it had pretty much been a fight for dominance, neither he nor Sinead wanting to relinquish control. But Jonah, overcome by a feeling of tenderness for her one night, changed the game up and told her that he wanted to try something different. She had been shocked at first as he had started caressing her slowly and kissing her sweetly, but had written it off to preference.

" _I guess you feel the need to be extra nice sometimes to cancel out all of that douchiness. Good thing I know better."_ She had stated afterwards, and Jonah had just smirked and went along with it, making sure the next time was 'normal' so she wouldn't be suspicious.

But every once in a while he couldn't help but be extra gentle like that, pretending to himself that there were actually feelings there, that she actually felt something besides loathing for him.

Sinead's mom released him, but she was beaming at him. "Thanks again for coming. Really, thanks to all of you."

She turned to the others, making Jonah feel a little better now that the attention wasn't solely on him.

"Oh don't thank us." Madison said quickly, and Jonah noted that her eyes were red. "Ned would be here if this happened to any of us."

Jonah chanced another look at Sinead to find her studying him, suspicion in her eyes. When his eyes met hers though she glanced away, sitting down by her brother and saying something to him in a tone too low for anyone else to hear. Again, Jonah took in how tired she looked, although her eyes weren't red-rimmed like the other members of her family's were.

Jonah didn't say much after that, settling in a random chair next to Dan and occupying himself with the history channel that was playing a documentary all while trying not the think of the tribute that was going on without him right now. Not that he was regretting it, but he wished for a little more response from Sinead. She had switched from glaring at him to pretending that he wasn't even there, not even bothering sparing him a glance like she was the others. In fact, right now she was chatting it up with the Holts like they were the most important people in the room.

 _Why did I even bother coming here? She obviously still hates me._

"Dude," Ted finally addressed him from the opposite end of the room, where he was sitting between his mom and sister, "Your phone keeps lighting up."

Jonah winced, not even bothering to look over at the table he had laid it on. "It's probably my dad. He's a little pissed off at me right now."

 _Or my dancers, who probably are just as pissed. This was supposed to be a big moment for them too._

"Well," Sinead spoke up, her voice uncompassionate, "You didn't _have_ to skip out on that show tonight."

A hush fell in the room at her tone, and he heard her mom say sharply, "Sinead" but the redhead went on, "What's your game by being here anyways? You barely talk to my brother."

He calmly met her gaze, even though he was feeling everything _but_ that emotion at the moment. "My _game?_ Thanks for automatically thinkin' the worst about me. Maybe I'm _concerned._ "

She flinched, but immediately composed her features, snorting and looking away. "Right."

He didn't know what to say, but Amy cut in, changing the subject. "Shouldn't the one doctor be back by now? He said around 10 he would have more information."

Sinead's dad spoke up. "I was planning on going to find him if he wasn't in here by fifteen after. You know how doctors are."

"I'll go find him." Sinead abruptly stood up from the couch. "This is too important to wait."

Without looking around or saying another word, she was across the room and out the door before anyone could respond.

Mrs. Starling let out a breath, turning to Jonah with sympathy in her eyes. "Sorry, she's a bit stressed out."

"We _all_ are right now." Ted mumbled, not looking apologetic like his mother, instead suspicion lurking in his eyes. "But yeah, she hasn't hardly eaten anything or slept in the last two days."

"Two days?" Jonah said, confused. Wasn't Ned only airlifted this morning?

Amy jumped in, explaining, "He was in the hospital back home for a couple of days before the really bad seizure happened this morning. Sinead flew there and now here. Dan and I have been with her the whole time."

Jonah frowned back at her, wanting to ask why Amy hadn't called him then, but he didn't want to raise any eyebrows with the question.

 _You're here for Ned, remember? It won't look good to act overly concerned about Sinead._

So he let his face relax as he nodded. "I see. Well I'm glad ya called me Amy."

He was determined somehow to make sure that Sinead took care of herself. Regardless of how she felt about him and how his brain was screaming at him _'you're not supposed to care this much about her, about ANYONE_ ', he was done trying to play off his feelings for her.

It was only seconds later that Sinead returned alone. "They want to talk to the immediate family members in one of the offices. I think they want a decision about something."

Her face was composed, but Jonah could sense the worry behind her eyes. He kept his eyes on the door, even after her parents and Ted followed her, thinking about what this all could mean.

But the clearing of a throat brought his gaze to that of Nellie Gomez's. "Sooo," interest lit her heavily made-up eyes. "What's the real reason you're here?"

"Nellie!" Amy's voice sounded horrified. "He's here to see Ned, like the rest of us."

"Please." Dan snorted, turning to face Jonah also. "We all know Jonah doesn't talk to Ned, just like Sinead said. And missing a huge event like tonight isn't like you."

"Guys." Madison's soft voice interjected. "This is about Ned, who is practically _dying_ right now. Leave Jonah alone."

Jonah heard the wobble in the younger girl's voice and looked over at her.

"Sorry Madison." Nellie looked contrite, but threw him another suspicious look before looking back at the Holt girl. "You're right. We need to just support each other through this time."

Jonah met Madison's eyes and shot her a grateful look, but she just stared blankly at him before finally turning her eyes to the T.V.

 _Man, everyone's on edge. This is gonna be a fun night._

The tense atmosphere in the room only got worse though as time crept on and the Starlings still weren't back. Finally, Hamilton stood. "I'm going to go get something from the vending machine. Anyone want anything?"

His sisters jumped up too, wanting to go, and were soon joined by Dan and Nellie, everyone exiting but Jonah and Amy.

He waited expectantly for her to say something and wasn't disappointed.

Amy turned to him, biting her lip while fiddling with her hair. "Thanks again for being here Jonah."

He tried to smile back at her but didn't think he managed. "Yeah well I don't think my presence is helping any. But I'm still glad I came. Ya know, for Ned's sake."

Feeling Amy's jade-green eyes studying him, he turned his face to the T.V., trying to end the conversation. Only she had more to say. It was only three words, but they hit Jonah hard.

"You love her."

 _LOVE her?_

He snapped his head around to stare at her. "W-what? Who said anything about love?"

Yes, he had feelings for the redhead that went beyond what a casual hook-up usually entailed for him and he really wanted to ask her out on a date. But love was a strong word. He didn't love anyone besides himself and his dad who had always been there for him. That was it.

He opened his mouth to tell Amy just that, but the Starlings chose that moment to walk in, scanning the room as they did.

"Where did everyone go?" Ted asked, and Jonah noted that the boy's eyes looked a little clearer than they had earlier. A good sign?

"To get snacks. They should be back any second." Amy informed him, which was good, since Jonah still was stuck on what Amy had accused him of.

He found that he couldn't even look at Sinead at the moment, so he kept his focus on Ted. "What did they say?"

"Let's wait until everyone else gets back." Sinead's mom said. "That way we'll only have to explain everything one time."

It felt like hours to Jonah before everyone returned - even though it was probably mere minutes - and was settled in.

Mr. Starling took a deep breath before he began. "The doctors want to do an emergency surgery on Ned. It's the only thing they think will save his life."

At that statement it took everything in Jonah to not look at Sinead. Relief fell over him at the thought that there was a chance her brother would make it.

"It's extremely pricey, and will take about eight hours to complete." Mr. Starling went on to explain the surgery and Ned's condition in detail, but Jonah tuned him out, not really being good with medical terms. He caught the end statement though as Sinead's dad concluded, "So no one will be able to go in during the surgery. Looks like we can try to sleep." He didn't sound positive that they could, but Jonah jumped in.

"You guys probably need the sleep more than anyone." Jonah gestured towards the Starlings and volunteered, "I can stay awake in case the doctors come in and update."

Some of the other cousins chimed in that they could stay up too, but Sinead replied. "I would rather stay here."

Her firm tone irked Jonah, (who felt like it was directed solely at him) and he couldn't help but say in return, "Of course ya would, since I was the one who suggested it."

Her eyes flew to his but he went on before she could say anything. "You're way too stubborn. What good is it doin' you to stay up all night anyways?"

"What GOOD?" It sounded like her voice caught, but whatever emotion crossed her face quickly got pushed down. "That's my _brother_ in there!"

A quiet voice interrupted, "And you're not going to help him any by getting sick." It was Mrs. Starling, who was also frowning at her daughter. "You're the only one of us that hasn't slept in a bed in the past two days or ate a solid meal. If anyone should go sleep it's you."

"Sinead, would it help if I went over to the room with you?" Amy asked, just as gently as Mrs. Starling had. "I think your parents said the hotel they got is right next door to this building. And I could use some sleep too."

 _Nice guilt trip._ Jonah thought, a little impressed at how Amy had worded that.

But Sinead just looked at her mother and Amy before spitting out. "Really? You're siding with _him_?"

Then she whirled around on him, and he tried not to flinch at her expression. He cut her off before she could say anything though. "Don't make me resort to blackmail." He threatened.

He saw a glimmer of panic fly over her face and inwardly smirked. Glaring at him to cover it up, she looked at him like he was the worst human being on earth, and maybe he was. But he didn't care if she hated him for the threat if it worked.

"Blackmail?" Jonah looked over to see Ted narrowing his eyes at him.

"All good cousins have it on each other." Jonah shrugged, before turning back to Sinead. "Please go rest. You look like you're gonna collapse."

He didn't mean for it to come out so soft, but he saw her own gaze soften a little at his words. Only it didn't last for long, her expression becoming closed and her eyes hard again.

"Stop acting like you _care."_ She spat out, turning from him. He was glad, because this time he couldn't stop the hurt from crossing his face, he could feel it and knew that the others could see it too. Ted was staring at him still but now surprise crossed his features. Behind him though, Jonah could see Mrs. Starling's gaze turn knowing and a little too pleased.

Trying to cover it up, he crossed his arms in front of him and went for a nonchalant facial expression.

"I'm going, I guess." Sinead said briefly, turning to her parents. "You guys have to call me if anything, and I mean _anything_ , happens. Even if it's something small."

"We will." Her dad promised.

"Ok." Her body relaxed a little as she hugged her parents and brother. She didn't say anything to anyone else, but she did manage to turn to shoot him one last death-glare before flouncing out of the room, Amy trailing behind her.

"Well, that's good I guess." Reagan sounded uncertain, flickering her eyes between the door and then over at Jonah.

He avoided her gaze though and plopped down on the floor, settling in against the wall. After a second he saw everyone else sit or lie down too, so he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, his body suddenly feeling like he hadn't done that in days.

But his thoughts wouldn't let him.

Amy was right. Sinead was a complete mess right now. She may be doing a good job of keeping it hidden, but Jonah could sense her stress and worry without her saying a word. And it was killing him that he couldn't do anything about it.

 _You did help convince her to go sleep, even though she probably won't rest that well. And you_ _ **are**_ _here. No matter if she resents your presence or not, it was the right thing to do._

He felt like the others were starting to suspect his motives for being here though. Of course the circle of cousins had been there at the party, and apparently Amy knew that Sinead met him off and on, but he wasn't being careful enough. The fact that he had showed his concern just now as well as used the word 'blackmail' wasn't good. He had to get a grip on his emotions.

 _You're Jonah Wizard, the most famous celeb out there._ He lectured himself. _There are tons of chicks that would kill to be with you. Focus on them and stop letting her affect you._

But there was one problem with that plan. There wasn't anyone _like_ Sinead. And out of all the girls Jonah had dated and been with, he never had felt the feelings that he felt right now for her.

 _I think Amy's right. I am in love with her. But it sucks 'cause she totally hates me._

Trying to push the thoughts from his mind, he finally started to drift off when another thought hit him. _I wonder how much Ned's surgery cost? I know the Starling's have money, but Mr. Starling sounded kinda stressed when he mentioned the word 'pricey'._

The more he thought of it, the more the fact bothered him. He knew that medical procedures were expensive and he noticed that there seemed to be a lot of doctors here working on Ned. Airlifting someone had to be expensive too, and he remembered Amy saying Ned had been in the hospital at home for a couple of days.

A frown crossed his face as a thought came to him. _Money is nothing for you. Why don't you just pay for it all?_

He debated for a second, knowing that while he was wealthy he couldn't just go around paying for other people's stuff.

 _But this is different. This is your family bro._

Eh, who was he kidding? It was _Sinead's_ family. And he wanted to help in whatever way he could. Glancing around the room and noting how still and quiet it was, he slipped out, leaving his jacket behind and hoped that no one would recognize him at one in the morning.

It took him a while to find the right person to get everything set up (plus a call to his dad for some information) but over an hour later he returned, a warm feeling in his chest at how the Starlings wouldn't have to worry about the money part now.

 _Yo, I should help other people more often. It feels kinda good._

"Where were you for so long?" Madison whispered from the couch nearest to him, almost causing his heart to fly out of his chest.

"Just walking around. I couldn't sleep and was restless." He said, proud at how believable he sounded. And it was mostly true anyways.

"Oh." Was all the girl said, and moments later he heard her breathing go even.

Unfortunately he didn't drift off for several more hours, but when he did it was with this thought. _No one can ever find out that it was me. Especially Sinead._

* * *

 **I know that the Starlings probably would have plenty of money for the bills, but this is fanfiction world so we're going to pretend that this bill is outrageous.**

 **Also I wrote Jonah's lingo more 'gangsta' in the last one but it was so hard to write that I probably flopped it in this one….oh well. :D**

 **Part two is on its way!**


	10. Lines Fade, Walls Fall - Pt 2 (Jonead)

**I forgot to mention in part one that I was inspired for this fic by the song "Let Me In" from the movie "Make Your Move". I love the dance scene on YouTube and love the lyrics even more...that's where I got title inspiration too.**

 **Oh and thanks to everyone for reviewing, and for your requests! I have a request for a follow-up and two new ones, and I'm excited to work on all of them. I'll be starting the Amy/Hamilton one next. (If you're reading this KittyGurl397, is there something specific you want on the Broderick/Cora follow-up? Like dating/proposal/Jonah being born? If not, I'll just take one of them and run with it!)**

 **Here is part 2!**

* * *

 _ **Lines Fade, Walls Fall - Part 2**_

It took Jonah about a minute to get his bearings when he woke up, but the sounds of movement and voices helped. It was just murmurs at first, but then he heard a familiar voice say, "I actually barely slept at all last night. I'm sorry that all of your convincing didn't help."

Of course, she didn't _sound_ that sorry. Yawning, he rolled over and stretched as he forced his eyelids open.

Sinead was talking to her mother, but caught his movement and stopped talking. She looked thrown-off, but recovered quickly, scowling at him. Not feeling very charitable - especially since it felt like he hadn't slept a wink and her tone of voice wasn't the best thing to wake up to - he returned the look and followed it with an eye roll. Then he promptly closed his eyes and pulled his jacket back over his head.

"Well." She huffed, and said something else but he tuned her out.

 _Sleep. I just wanna sleep._

But seconds later all of the events of yesterday and the middle of the night dawned on him, and he made himself sit up. Ned. He needed to find out what time it was and if Ned was out of surgery.

"Good morning Jonah!" A cheerful voice rang out. A cheerful, _British_ voice.

Wincing, he pulled his jacket off of his head and blinked at Natalie Kabra. "Yo." Was all he managed to get out, cut off by another yawn.

"Nice manners." She sneered. He took in her perfect posture, clothes, and makeup, but found that he still didn't care about her opinion.

"What time is it?" He asked instead, looking around the room as his eyes adjusted to the light.

It looked like everyone was up and around but him, and most of them were looking at him, amusement on their faces.

"Almost seven am." Amy replied from her place beside Ian. Or more like Ian's lap.

 _Ew, really?_

"You look like you've barely slept." She added with a frown.

"I fell asleep around 5." Jonah admitted, getting to his feet. "But it's no biggie. I'm used to it."

"Doesn't seem like it to me." Ted muttered, but when Jonah looked at him the boy was staring blankly at the wall.

"Any updates?" He asked as he walked towards the bathroom, intent on freshening up.

"Ned's still in surgery, but so far so good." Mrs. Starling answered, but then added in a funny tone. "One of the nurse aids said something a little strange though. Apparently _someone_ routed all of the bills from all of this to their personal account, along with any additional costs that come up. You don't know anything about that do you?"

He halted, not expecting the question but forced himself to calmly meet her eyes. "Nope. Wow, that's cool though."

Sinead's mom was studying his face, but then to his relief shrugged. "Huh, well I guess we will never know then. You're the last person I've asked."

"I guess not." He turned back and kept the same pace, quietly closed the door once he was in safely in and _then_ let himself freak out.

 _She's totally on to me. Which means the others will be too._

Trying to get a grip on himself, he took his time washing his face and brushing his teeth, grimacing over the fact that he had been so anxious to get here that he hadn't even thought to bring clothes. He would go buy some, he decided. That would give him some space and maybe everyone would forget about the whole 'hospital bill' mystery.

He was out of luck though because as soon as he opened the door Sinead was on him. "What in the heck was you thinking?"

Gaping at her, he scanned the room and noticed that her parents weren't there but everyone else still was. "Where are your parents?"

"The doctors wanted to talk to them alone. Now answer my question." Her eyes were lit up with anger and he noticed that her hands were shaking as she crossed them over her chest.

He tried not to follow her movement and barely managed. "Um, I was thinkin' that I need to go buy clothes. And I got no idea what you're-"

"That won't work with me Jonah."

A thrill shot through him at the sound of his name on her tongue, even if she did sound pissed.

"I know you paid for it. And I want to know why. I'm tired of trying to figure out what you're playing at here-"

"Playin' at?" He snorted, feeling his own anger rise.

She ignored him, "The woman said it was someone here. And you're the only one with enough money to do something like that, except for the Kabras who weren't _here_ yet." Her eyes narrowed now and, not wanting to admit anything, Jonah tried to maneuver around her.

Sinead was quick though, blocking him and forcing him back. Out of the corner of his eye he could see their cousins eying the scene with interest, and he knew that they would be no help.

So Jonah tried for a different angle, matching her pose by crossing his arms in front of him. "Why does it matter? You don't care, remember?"

 _ **-Flashback-**_

" _Do you care about anything?" He asked as he watched her turn to leave his bedroom, not sure if he wanted to know the answer to his question, but needing to know at the same time._

 _She threw a smirk over her shoulder. "Not about much. Not about YOU anyways, just like you don't care about me. Until next time."_

 _ **-End Flashback-**_

He saw it when his words hit her and knew she caught on to what he was referring to. She hardened instantly though, shooting back at him, "This is different. I don't know if you're here out of some sort of 'feeling of obligation' or what, but I don't need _or_ want you here. And my family doesn't need your _charity._ "

He gritted his teeth, trying to _not_ scream at her that he wasn't just trying to help a family member out of obligation.

 _Doesn't she get why I dropped something really important to come here, put my pride on the line last night when convincing her to sleep, and then paid for Ned's surgery? Doesn't she get that I love her?_

"Maybe I just wanted to help 'cause I'm not as bad as you make me out to be." Was all he managed to get out, barely keeping it together.

She snorted but let him walk past her this time, which he was grateful for. He had to get out of here or he was going to explode.

He had almost made it when her next words made him freeze in his tracks, "Yeah right. More like you're 'maybe' feeling the need to come out on top. I mean, you're Jonah freaking _Wizard_ after all, you can't let anyone suspect that you actually don't care about anyone but yourself."

" _And maybe_ my motive behind everything _,_ " He whirled on her angrily, finally feeling himself snap, releasing all of the pent-up frustration he had been holding in for weeks, "is due to _you._ Maybe I'm tired of the way our relationship has been the last five months! Maybe I'm tired of just casual sex whenever you need an outlet!"

At that he saw her face turn white and her mouth drop open, but he went on, not being able to stop. "Maybe I'm tired of you pushing me away 'cause you're scared to let anyone in! Maybe," His voice dropped to almost a whisper, but he knew that she would be able to hear him, "I'm in _love_ with you Sinead."

It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop, until Ian's dry voice broke into the tense atmosphere. " _Maybe_ you two should go somewhere private and talk about this."

 _Dang it. I forgot that they were all in the room._

Jonah kept his eyes on Sinead's face though. It was still white, but he could see something start to pool in her eyes, _tears?_ Shock fell over him at the sight, and he blinked a couple of times, sure his mind was playing tricks on him. But it was undeniable. Her lip was starting to tremble too, and he wasn't sure then _what_ to do. He wanted to go over and shake some sense into her, he wanted to go over and wrap her in his arms and not let go, to show her somehow that his words meant something and that he was serious about his declaration. But watching her now - as she swallowed and lifted her chin, her eyes going glassy - he wasn't sure if any of those things would be the right thing to do.

But he didn't have to decide, because at that moment her parents entered the room, followed by two of the doctors that supervised Ned's procedure.

Heart sinking, he turned and studied the group closely to look for a sign that would say that Ned was ok. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sinead brace herself and suddenly felt guilty for dumping all of that on her just now.

As he focused again on the Starling parents and the doctors he was aware of the others gathering in behind him to hear the news. Ted especially, pushing his way up to the front with an anxious 'how is he?'

"He's just fine." Mrs. Starling's face crumpled, but she was beaming through her tears.

The doctors and her husband wore their own grins as one of the doctors stated, "He's in recovery now. The surgery went really well and there's an excellent chance that everything will go back to normal for him, even better in fact. We're out of the danger zone at least."

One of the other doctors started to say something, but he was drowned out by the cheers and laughter that was erupting around the room. Jonah noticed that Amy was crying as well as Madison, and it looked like Ted might be on the verge of tears too. Then he remembered Sinead and looked for her, only she wasn't in the crowd of people who were now hugging each other through happy exclamations.

"Sinead honey, why are you over there still? Didn't you hear? Ned is going to be ok." Mr. Starling said, noticing her absence too, but Jonah realized that he was looking beyond the crowd.

Most of the group turned to see Sinead still frozen where she had been standing originally, but something about her pose was off.

And then Jonah noticed it. Big fat tears were not only pooling in her eyes, but were dropping down her cheeks, even as her face was still frozen in shock. As if noticing everyone's stunned expressions, she took a breath like she was trying to compose herself and turned away to where she was facing the bathroom door.

Jonah immediately felt the urge to go over there but looked at her parents to see what their reaction was. To his surprise, they looked hesitant too like the rest of the group did, like they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Making a snap decision he pushed past Reagan and Amy who were right in front of him and made his way over to her, determination driving him. So what if she pushed him away in front of everyone? It wouldn't be anything new.

But there was no reaction from her as he approached, even though he saw her glance at him from her half-turned state.

Hesitantly he reached out to touch her shoulder lightly and felt her stiffen but she didn't move away, silent tears still trailing down her cheeks as her body started to shake.

"Sinead." His voice came out in a whisper, but she didn't move. He tried again, the endearment slipping out before he even registered it. _"Sweetheart."_

Jonah heard Mr. Starling echo 'sweetheart?' in a startled tone and knew that the word must have come out louder than he had intended but he didn't care. He was too intent on the person in front of him who had now closed her eyes as she let out a shuddery breath.

"Let me hold you." He made sure that no one could hear this time, and wondered if she even could.

But then Sinead launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck as she buried her face in the upper portion of his chest. He was astonished but instantly responded, wrapping his arms securely around her back as she starting sobbing, quietly at first, then loudly, with such harsh sounds coming out of her mouth that it made him feel like his heart was being ripped in two.

Vaguely, he could hear sounds in the room but his focus was solely on her, cradling her even as he could hear his own voice murmuring soothing words in her ear.

"That's it, it's ok to cry. Just let it out, I got ya."

She clasped onto him even tighter and Jonah felt weak himself, like he wouldn't be able to keep them standing up that long. So he led her carefully over to the nearest couch and lowered them to where she was on his lap, her still tucked in his arms and him still whispering in her ear. "Sweetheart, it's ok. Shhh…"

It was a good thing she was letting the emotion out, but if she kept it up like this she would get sick.

"Sinead...baby...calm down. You're gonna get sick." He voiced it after a few minutes.

But she didn't stop, instead it seemed like her sobs were increasing. Just when he was about to pull her up to face him to try to get her to calm down she abruptly quieted, drawing in a deep breath before her body went still against him.

 _She's going to pull away now. She's going to say something sarcastic to cover it up and then go back to pretending you don't matter._

Sighing inwardly, he braced himself for it. But she surprised him by gripping him tighter and moving her head up to rest on his neck. Her face was damp against his skin, and her voice was rough as she spoke, "Jonah, did-" She let out another breath before going on. To Jonah, it sounded like her voice was as loud as a clap of thunder, his heart was beating so rapidly in his chest as he waited for her to speak. "Did you mean all of that?"

"Yeah." He barely managed to get the word out, still waiting for her to close up.

Instead she gulped in another breath of air and raised her head to meet his eyes. Hers were red now and swollen, but Jonah thought that they were as stunning as ever. "And Ned. He's ok."

She said it like a statement, shock creeping into her tone. Lowering her head again to his chest, she mumbled, "So tired…I can't even think..."

"I'm sorry." The guilt came back. "Not that I said it, but the timing. I-"

"It's ok." Her voice was unsteady, "I'm glad you did"

"Yeah?" Dang his vocabulary was so limited right now.

 _It's because she's so close. She's not freaking out. It's throwing me off my game._

There had never been any real intimacy between them; they had never cuddled before or after their hooking up. Soit was a strange feeling, having her up against him like this. But he loved it. It felt like he was protecting her in some way, and that she felt enough for him that she was _letting_ him.

"I feel like, like I'm going to go to sleep." He could hear the drowsy note in her voice so he shifted her a little to rest more comfortably on him.

"Go ahead baby. You've been through a lot in the past couple of hours."

"Ok." She sighed the word as she closed her eyes and he couldn't resist leaning down slightly to kiss her forehead.

It was then that Jonah registered other people sitting down around them, instead of still standing over by the door. Briefly he wondered how long they had been there and how much they had been able to hear and then decided that he didn't care.

So he ignored the eyes on them, tenderly brushing Sinead's hair out of her face as he could see her drifting off to sleep, a content look on her face as her body relaxed even further against his. A smile ghosted across his face as he felt her trust wash over him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and as his eyes traced her features he let the feeling consume him.

"I'm not even going to ask." Mr. Starling was the first to speak up, bringing him back to reality. Jonah held his breath, but all the man said was, "Your feelings for my daughter are written all over your face."

Swallowing, Jonah met his gaze, not sure if this made Sinead's dad happy or upset. But he was looking back at Jonah, a mix of acceptance and warning in his eyes. "We'll talk later."

"Dear, don't scare him." Sinead's mom chided as she leaned her head over on her husband's shoulder.

She then spoke to the entire room. "This has been a really long morning. Now that Ned's stable and the doctors don't want visitors for a while, why don't you all try to go rest? Or at least go get a good meal and a shower."

"What about you Mrs. Starling?" Hamilton asked politely. "We can go get you food or something."

"That actually sounds wonderful. But I want everyone to rest once they eat."

Practically everyone left after that with the exception of Sinead's immediate family, leaving Jonah alone with them.

Mrs. Starling looked over at him now, still not seeming perturbed over what had happened. "You could try to set Sinead down on the couch so you can rest yourself."

"Will she wake up if I move her?" Jonah asked, not really wanting to let her go and hoping that he could just hold her for a little while longer. He didn't want to think about her reaction when she woke up.

"She might." Her mom pursed her lips together. "Normally she's a light sleeper."

They all looked at Sinead, who was still relaxed. Jonah figured movement may not bother her since she seemed so sleep-deprived and apparently noise wasn't fazing her, but he didn't want to chance it.

"I'm fine holding her." He decided. "She needs to sleep."

"You didn't sleep much last night either." Ted stated but Jonah couldn't read his tone.

He shrugged, his eyes still on Sinead's sleeping form. "It's all good. I don't mind."

"I'm sure you don't." Ted mumbled and when Jonah looked at him the boy looked almost hostilely at him. Noticing that he picked up on it, Ted quickly added, "Look you might be acting all sweet to my sister right now, but I still don't trust you."

Jonah opened his mouth to argue but then thought a minute and nodded. "I don't blame you I guess. But I'll just hafta prove it to you that I really do love her."

Mr. Starling flinched at the word 'love' and stared at him, but then looked over at the T.V. after a few seconds, not saying anything.

Jonah settled in at that, shifting Sinead again to try to get comfortable before turning his attention to the T.V. as well. But his mind was whirling from the events of last night and then this morning. Had it really just been within the past 12 hours that all of this happened?

 _Don't think about it. Just enjoy having her close for now._

* * *

It was two in the afternoon when Sinead started stirring, almost six hours later.

Jonah hadn't managed to get any sleep or even eat anything - still worried that he would wake her up - but he didn't mind. The others shook their heads at his refusal to eat or even move, but he could tell that they understood, or at least thought it was _cute,_ with the way some of the girls kept smirking at him.

Now though, as Sinead moved against him again as she woke up, he wondered if he should have moved her off of him at least. There was no telling what her reaction would be when she realized that she was still on his lap.

But there was no time to lecture himself because her eyes opened and immediately darted to his, making him tense. But all she did was blink at him sleepily and ask, "Ned?"

"He's doing great." He assured her, "They are still saying no visitors though."

"Oh." She sat in his arms for a minute, closing her eyes again, and then they popped back open. "Is that food I smell?"

He was caught off guard and didn't answer. But Dan piped up. "Yep and it's really good. Hey Jonah you can finally eat now too."

Jonah felt Sinead's eyes on him at Dan's words and Jonah wanted to deck the younger boy.

"Ok yeah sounds good." He said casually but he could still feel those green eyes boring into him.

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked him. "What time is it?"

"Uh, 2pm. So a little over six hours?" He was wary of her tone and decided to not meet her gaze.

She sighed in exasperation but only untangled herself from him and stood up. "I'm going to freshen up. You're in charge of getting both of us food."

"Ok." He watched her walk to the bathroom and then allowed himself to relax.

 _She didn't hit me at least. Although she might be waiting until no one's around._

Standing up and stretching, his muscles thanking him for the movement, he walked over to the little table by the door to the room, grabbing random items from it before returning to sit down.

Trying to feel normal, he continued talking to Hamilton about the last football game the Holt's had participated in. While sports weren't really his favorite topic, it was nice to get to know his cousins better. They had only been back for about an hour, but conversation felt easier now that everyone knew Ned was ok.

He got the food all laid out right as Sinead walked out of the bathroom and Hamilton concluded his story.

"So what did I miss while I was sleeping?" Sinead plopped down beside him, but directed the question to the whole group.

"Well we left as soon as you went to sleep to get breakfast for us and your parents." Amy explained. "Then most of us took naps until just now when Hamilton and Ted went and got lunch for everyone. The food woke us all up."

"I see." Sinead was quiet, taking the wrapped burrito Jonah handed her without further comment. Right before she took a bite though she turned to him. "Did you sleep at all?"

"No. But I'm fine." He concentrated on fixing his food, wondering at her tone. She was so hard to read and he was still worried about her suddenly flipping on him about what he said earlier.

The others started talking about clothes - led by a very passionate Natalie - but he didn't join in, scarfing down his food like he hadn't eaten in days. He noticed that Sinead did too and figured that she had probably been too worried to eat anything before.

Finally she looked over at him and leaned in, whispering (though no one seemed to be paying them any attention), "So you just sat here and held me for six hours without sleeping or eating or anything?"

"I didn't wanna wake you up by movin' around to eat. And you needed the sleep more than I did."

Not to mention that it had been impossible for him to sleep with her on top of him. After the shock had worn off he became all too aware of her curves right against his body. And while his focus really wasn't on sex or anything during that time, he was still 'male' enough to notice.

She pursed her lips at his answer and searched his eyes. A little disconcerted, he looked away.

"We should talk, but probably not now." She finally said. "I still feel all off-kilter."

"Ok." He said automatically, and then his attention was caught by Madison asking him a question.

"Hey, is your jacket the one Michael Jackson wore? Or is it a copy? We have a debate going on over here."

"Not a copy; it's the one he wore in Thriller." He responded, but he wasn't really in a bragging mood right now.

"Whoooaaa…" Dan sounded impressed. "So is it ruined now? I mean Sinead did cry all over it."

Again, the feeling of wanting to smack Dan came back to Jonah full-force. "I don't really care." He said, and meant it, even as part of him screamed, _it's a 2 million dollar prized possession!_

But the other part said, _that's right - a possession. And there are more important things in life than THINGS._

"Um," Sinead's voice broke into his thoughts. He glanced over at her but she was glaring at Dan. "I don't like the way that you just implied it's _my_ fault if his jacket is ruined. _I'm_ not the one that asked him if I could 'cry all over him'."

"But you did kind of throw yourself-"

"Daniel." Natalie snapped at him. "Shut. Up."

He frowned at her but the girl's blazing look halted him. Coughing, he stood and said, "I'm just going to go get a snack from the vending machine."

"Good idea." Sinead said, holding out her and Jonah's wrappers, "Take this too while you're at it."

Dan made a face but complied, hurrying out of the room. Jonah wondered if he was more scared of Sinead or Natalie and almost laughed at the thought.

He was thrown off though by a weight on his shoulder and looked down to see Sinead leaning on him.

"Do you mind?" She asked him. "I feel really drained still."

"Of course not." He said, just as she started to get up, overriding his voice, "What am I saying. You're the one who needs to rest."

"Lay your head back down." Jonah didn't mean for it to come out snappy but it did. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Aren't we bossy." She said it as a statement, standing all the way up and ignoring his command. "I need to talk to my parents anyways."

Not knowing if she was being truthful but not having the energy to pursue it right now, he decided to get up also and find his cell phone. Not only were his muscles still feeling cramped from sitting in one position for so long, but he was sure that his phone had blown up during that time. Sure enough he picked it up and winced at the multiple missed calls, voicemails, and text messages - mostly from his father asking what the heck was going on.

Jonah called out, "I'm gonna step out for a bit" to the room and then exited, hoping that he would be able to find a quiet hallway somewhere.

* * *

Ten minutes later he returned, reluctant about what he was about to have to say. He noticed that Sinead was still standing on the other side of the room talking to her parents, so he made his way over there first.

"So I just got off the phone with my dad. I'm going to have to leave soon. Like in the next fifteen minutes." He admitted, hating the fact. "My tour starts tomorrow night and I gotta get there in the morning to rehearse my sets."

He turned to Mrs. Starling, not wanting to face Sinead yet, feeling horrible. It felt like he was abandoning her. "I'm sorry I wish I could-"

But Sinead's mom was nodding understandingly. "Honey we get it. You've already done enough." She stepped closer and faced him, putting her hands on his shoulders - much like she had the prior night with Sinead. Her green eyes studied him for a second, and then a small smile spread over her face. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon. And thanks again for canceling your big event."

Then she drew him into another hug, one that he returned easier this time. Her whisper in his ear threw him off, but her words made him grin. "You're just what she needs. I trust you to treat her right."

Letting out a little laugh as she released him he promised. "I will."

He turned to Sinead's dad then, a little nervous, but all the man did was shake his hand and echo his wife's words about him dropping his show to be here. Jonah assured him again that it wasn't a big deal, and then turned to Sinead, not really sure what to say but she was walking over to the other side of the room. His heart sank, but she turned and motioned him over as she explained to the other Cahills that Jonah was about to leave.

He gave them all handshakes and light hugs (although it felt a little awkward), saving Amy for last. Embracing her tighter than the others, he muttered in her ear. "Thank you _so_ much for calling me. I owe you."

He heard the smile in her voice as she answered. "No problem. I just went with my instinct."

Again, when he pulled away from Amy he was faced with telling Sinead good-bye but she surprised him. "I'll walk you down." She stated, turning to the door.

"Um, ok." He answered, not sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Sure, she had acted ok towards him and even a little concerned about his not eating a few minutes ago, but he thought she might still be in shock. And he couldn't read anything from her tone or facial expressions, like usual.

Calling out a last goodbye over his shoulder, he trailed Sinead to the elevator.

It was a silent descent, but she cut her eyes over at him when they were almost to the ground floor. "Relax; I'm not going to kill you or anything."

He let out a nervous laugh. "But you might still hurt me."

She only rolled her eyes as they exited, not saying anything until they got to Jonah's car.

"Well goodbye." Her words were brief and sounded abrupt, but when Jonah scrutinized her face he was stunned to see that she looked a little unsure.

Not wanting it to end like this, he said, "When Ned's released and everything is somewhat back to normal for you, call me."

Realization lit her eyes, and Jonah saw her withdraw a little bit. "Oh. Ok, so we can-"

"I wanna take you out." He interrupted, slightly annoyed that she had been so quick to jump to conclusions. "On a date."

"A _date_?!"

"Yep." He said impatiently. "So will ya let me?"

He knew that he was asking for more than a date. He was asking her to let him _in_.

"I-I." She stammered, meeting his eyes, her green ones bright with uncertainty.

"It's a yes or no question Sinead."

She swallowed. "Yes."

"Yes?" He repeated dumbly, honestly not expecting her to agree so quickly. He tried to look at her face but she had dropped her head as soon as she gave her answer.

"That's what I said Wizard." Her tone was sarcastic, but he sensed a smile in her voice.

"Ok, cool." He tried to play off his happiness, but knew that he was probably failing. "Oh, and just so ya know?"

He waited until she looked up again, "No sex at the end of this date. I wanna take you out and bring you flowers and kiss you goodnight without you thinkin' I'm just after that."

She blinked at him, astonishment crossing her features. Then she bit her lip, studying him until finally a genuine smile broke out across her face. "Flowers are so cheesy. Can't you channel more creativity from your Janus brain than that?"

He felt astonishment himself as he gaped at her but quickly composed his features, his own smile creeping on his face. "Leave it to me. It will be the best date you've ever been on."

And that was a promise he was planning to keep.

* * *

 _I never planned/To hold out my hand/So take it or let it go_

 _If you, you feel it inside/Then open your eyes/Cause sometimes you never know_

 _The lines are fading/Walls come down/And I'll be waiting_

 _So let me in/I won't let you fall_

 _Let me in/And we could have it all_

 _Cause in our dreams things are better/Then what they've been/So let me in_


	11. A Different Kind of Feeling (Ham-Amy)

**So my apologies in advance: Some of this will be cliché, but I couldn't help myself :)**

 **Also, it's never crossed my mind to write this pairing, but it ended up being a lot of fun! (For those of you who wanted a love triangle, so sorry, I will try it out next time - once someone lets me know if I botched the characterizations up or not. After that I'll feel more comfortable writing a third person in.)**

 **This one is dedicated to 'Saskia Lyon' and a guest reviewer :)**

* * *

 _ **A Different Kind of Feeling**_

 _October 8th_

"You promised, remember?"

Amy halted, staring at her brother who was giving her a triumphant look.

"No I didn't!"

Dan lifted his chin. "You did too! Right before telling me to leave you alone so you could mope about your pitiful love life and how crappy your ex is."

Sometimes, it took everything within her to _not_ smack her brother. Gritting her teeth, she looked over at Saladin, the Egyptian Mau who was lounging on the couch beside her. "Would it bother you if I shipped Dan to Russia?"

At his alarmed 'meow'. Amy sighed. "Ok then, it was just a fleeting fantasy."

"Very funny."

She looked back to see Dan glaring at her. "But you did promise to go to the game with me. I don't want to go alone."

"Can't any of your school friends go with you?" Amy asked, but felt guilty as soon as the question left her mouth.

Dan, like her, didn't have a lot of friends at school. Not real ones anyways. Both of them were so untrusting when it came to outsiders, and a lot of the time it felt like other people - _normal_ people - couldn't understand them.

"You know that there are only a couple of people I would ask. But both of them can't go on that day."

Resigning herself to her fate, which included a weekend of tromping through wet grass and braving the cold in order to watch a boring game, she set her face. "Ok, fine."

"Thanks for acting so excited to spend time with your little brother." Dan snapped the words out at her, and before she could apologize, he had left the room.

' _He's probably going to go play video games, instead of doing his homework.'_ Amy thought fondly.

Dan might be annoying, but she supposed she should be nicer to him. It was hard not having a lot of friends, she would know. Turning back to the computer, she refocused her mind. If she remembered correctly, the game Dan referred to was being played in another state, which meant travel. And traveling meant getting her homework done as quickly as possible.

* * *

 _October 17th_

"I thought it was going to be warmer than this!" Amy hugged her arms around her more tightly, trying to capture some warmth.

"It's October." Dan pointed out. "Besides, it's not that bad."

Amy held back her retort, knowing that it would only cause another argument. She was _trying_ to have a good time. But Chicago was the last place she wanted to be right now.

Sure, the Green Bay Packers were winning, (the team that she and Dan were supporting) leading the Chicago Bears by 11 points, and it was only just now halftime. But it was _freezing,_ the autumn air was chilly, and Amy was miserable. On one hand, she wanted to scream at Dan for forcing her to come. On the other one though, as she watched her him grin and have a good time, she wanted to try to enjoy it. For his sake anyways.

Poking her brother in the side, she said, "Let's go get hot chocolate."

"Fine. But we're replenishing our snacks too."

"Deal."

Propelled by the thought of something warm in her belly, Amy let the way through the throngs of people who were standing in circles in the aisle and laughing. Some were already drinking too, but she ignored them. Behind her, Dan let out a puff of breath.

"Geez you're fast."

But she noticed that he was keeping up with her, probably urged on by the thought of more _snacks._ Like he needed more sugar or something.

Amy could see the concession stand just ahead, and was so focused on it that she almost barreled into a lady that wasn't paying attention either. Trying to avoid hitting her, she veered to the right and plowed directly into a muscular chested guy instead.

He caught her though, and she had stepped back and was just about to thank him when he spoke.

"Are you ok?"

His voice was concerned, and familiar. _Very_ familiar.

Blinking up at the tall, blonde-haired figure in front of her, she blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

"Hi Amy. Hi Dan." Hamilton Holt grinned, looking behind her to include her brother in the greeting. "To answer your question, I'm here to watch the game."

"By yourself?" Dan asked, sympathy in his tone. "That sucks man."

Hamilton shrugged his broad shoulders, releasing his grip from Amy's arm. "I don't mind. I like it when my family comes, but Reagan and Madison had a game this weekend and mom was going to that. My dad was supposed to come with me but something came up last minute. Where are you guys sitting?"

The abrupt subject change threw Amy for a second, since she was still trying to process that her distant cousin was here. Luckily, Dan's reflexes were quicker.

"Over there," He pointed to the section they had just come up from. "But Amy was cold so we came up here to get hot chocolate."

Amy noticed Hamilton's gaze lingering on her, and then he frowned. "Where's your jacket Amy?"

Feeling like an idiot but trying to hide it, she crossed her arms in front of her and smiled thinly. "I accidently left it on the plane. It was one of my favorites too."

"I didn't bring a jacket either." Dan spoke up and said, "But I'm tougher than my sister."

Hamilton looked like he wanted to smile at this, but ended up coughing when Amy frowned at him.

"Here", Hamilton shrugged out of his jacket, and Amy realized too late his intention. Before she could protest, he was holding it out to her, "Take mine. I don't need it."

"No, it's okay-" She started, but Dan butted in.

" _Please_ take it so you'll stop complaining." He stated, then to Hamilton he added, "Thanks dude."

Flushing, Amy tentatively took the jacket, which was more like a jersey in her opinion. It was huge and bulky, with a Green Bay Packers logo on the back and stripes on the sleeves. After putting it on and feeling like she was being swallowed alive, she looked back at Hamilton. "Thanks. But just to let you know, Dan is exaggerating. I wasn't complaining that much."

Her cousin grinned at her, displaying straight white teeth. "You're welcome. And I'm sure you weren't, after how tough you were during the Clue Hunt and all."

For some reason his words embarrassed her, so she looked away quickly to divert her attention.

"Where are you sitting?" She heard Dan ask.

"Not too far from where you guys are. Too bad we didn't know each other was coming. We could have tried to get seats together or something."

"Yeah that would have been cool." The disappointment rang in Dan's voice.

Amy turned her attention back to the two people in front of her, mustering up a smile. The jacket was already working miracles, and she was feeling a lot better. "Maybe we can get together soon." She suggested. "Or we can hang out after the game, though our plane leaves today."

Hamilton's face brightened, "That would be great. I always wish that we stayed in better contact over the past couple of years."

He was referring to the two years that had passed between the Clue hunt and now. At first, all of the cousins had stayed in contact, mainly for Vesper-related training and updates. But gradually, the contact had drifted off as those things like training were established within their own branches. Only the branch leaders stayed in contact with each other, and that was out of necessity.

"I do too." Amy spoke up, her smile coming more easily now.

Hamilton had been a huge help during the Clue hunt, and had proven to be one of the 'better' Cahill's as far as morals went. He also had been loyal and truthful with Amy and Dan towards the end of it, earning their trust.

Their Thomas cousin returned the smile, including both siblings in it, then gestured towards the concession line. "It's getting longer and halftime is almost over. We can talk in line."

Amy almost asked him what he was talking about, then remembered the entire point of coming up here.

"Lead the way."

* * *

"Hamilton is super cool!" Dan stated, once the two of them had returned to their seats, loaded with hot chocolate and all kinds of other 'goodies'.

"He is." Amy agreed, huddling under the jacket and mentally thanking her cousin once again. While at first she had felt weird taking his jacket, he and Dan both had acted like it was no big deal, so she decided to follow their lead. Besides, Hamilton was just a nice guy.

' _Too bad your own boyfriend couldn't have acted like that.'_ She thought bitterly, trying hard not to think of her previous relationship. _'It's been five months Amy. Time to get over him.'_

Amy Cahill prided herself in logical thinking and practicality. But with that relationship, she had to admit to herself that she had been blinded most of it. Travis Wyatt had _seemed_ like a great guy when they had just started dating. He was funny, charming, and even a bit flirty. She didn't like him at their first meeting, but it was understandable. He used a horrible pickup line then, and she didn't care for his arrogance. After a while though, as she talked to him more and more, he seemed to be genuinely nice.

' _Too bad all of that was just a cover-up.'_

The image of Travis, her _boyfriend,_ all over one of the school's 'pretty girls' at a local park couldn't be erased from her mind. Even after all these months.

"Amy, you're spacing out on me."

Shaking her head slightly - as if that would shake off the picture of her flighty ex - she frowned at Dan. "What?"

Her brother returned the look. "Geez you don't have to be so snippy. I just asked you if you wanted some of my Starbursts."

"Oh, sorry." Shooting him a tiny smile, she took the candy. "Thanks."

"No problem." Dan replied, then opened his mouth again as if he was going to say more. But he seemed to change his mind, and turned back to the field.

Amy winced. Her brother knew her thoughts too well at times, and probably knew who she had been thinking of. Thankfully though, the only thing he said after that was a comment on the score, which Amy wasn't really keeping track of.

Finally, the game was over and they were heading outside of the arena, trying to look for Hamilton among the crowd on their way.

"There are just way too many people." Dan complained. "Maybe we should go to the car and then try to call him?"

Amy agreed, and they were almost to the curb of the massive parking lot when Hamilton's voice came from behind them. "Hey! There you guys are."

His face was both friendly and apologetic. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to drive back home now. Mom called and told me that Reagan got hurt in her game just now."

"Oh no!" Amy exclaimed, "Is it serious?"

"Nah, she's a Thomas after all. But I already feel bad for coming to this game and not hers, though she insisted I keep my plans to come here."

"Aww man, well tell her we're sorry." Dan said, wrinkling his nose. "Maybe we can plan to meet up another time?"

"For sure." Hamilton nodded emphatically. "I'll call or text you guys soon."

He gave Dan a fist bump, but when he turned to her, pulled her into a side hug. Amy figured the move would crush her, but it was gentle.

' _Probably purposely.'_ She thought wryly, but returned it all the same.

After exchanging goodbyes, they turned to leave, but Amy whirled back around, tugging at the jacket that was still around her. "I almost forgot-"

"Keep it." Hamilton stated. "It's going to be a long walk to your car, and I have two more of those. You can give it back when we meet up again."

Amy bit her lip, "If you're sure…"

"Positive." He smiled at her again, then gave a little wave. "Later."

* * *

 _January 23rd_

Amy was a _mess._ It was a good thing that she was running ten minutes early and that she had thought to grab her makeup case before heading out.

She had left Boston two hours ago to meet Hamilton at this restaurant in Hartford. He swore up and down that it was the best one in the city, and that it was tucked away and just quaint enough that hardly anyone knew about it. Hearing him say the word 'quaint' had been funny, but as Amy peered inside the window, she had to admit that the place was cute. And thankfully, there was no sign of her Thomas cousin.

Scurrying out of the car, she made her way to the front. It wasn't raining here, so of course she probably looked _really_ out of place, with her makeup ruined and her shoes sloshy, but she managed to throw the two people she passed a tight smile. They returned it, but she could tell that they were taking in her disarrayed state.

' _I should have just stopped in that one town that I passed an hour ago, instead of thinking I could make it all the way here and then having to resort to that stupid rest stop.'_

It had been a disaster. Amy had consumed one too many Starbucks drinks, and the result had been a mad dash to the restroom at a questionable rest stop in the pouring down rain. She had tried to dry off inside, but knew that there was no point since she was going to have to go back in it. And the restaurant was only twenty minutes away from the rest stop and so close to the edge of Hartford that she decided to just drive all the way after that.

Now, she grimaced at her reflection. It was just as bad as she had thought, but she quickly reapplied her makeup and tried to dry her shoes out. Her clothes were still damp but passable, and as she ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame it, she lectured herself for even caring.

' _It's just Hamilton. There is no way he's going to care, or even notice for that matter.'_

Still, it was a little disconcerting to be the only one here meeting with him. Dan was supposed to be here, but the little brat just _had_ to get sick. As soon as the thought hit her though, Amy felt bad. It wasn't his fault he had been sick. She thought back to their conversation that had been only a few hours ago.

 _ ***Flashback***_

" _So there is no way you can go tonight?" Amy's brow furrowed at Dan, not sure if he was legitimately sick or just being whiny._

 _Her brother opened bleary eyes at her, and just by looking at him Amy knew. "Aww sorry Dan. I'm sure Hamilton will understand though when we cancel. We can-"_

" _You can still go, can't you?"_

 _Amy's thoughts halted, the question throwing her off. "Uh, but he wants to see both of us. Actually, he probably wants to see you the most. You're the one that's been talking to him nonstop the past few months."_

 _Dan rolled his eyes. "If you weren't so mopey still you could talk to him like that too. But anyways, I promised him that I would bring him that Zepp Sensor thing I've been working on and finally just finished."_

" _Zepp Sensor? What's that?"_

" _It's a sport gadget, but with 'Dan' modifications. Trust me, he'll be just as disappointed that he won't get that as he will be not getting to see us. Please, please, please go and take it?"_

 _She sighed at her little brother's puppy dog expression, complete with puffy eyes and followed by a horrible cough._

" _Fine." She stated, "I'll go and take it, since it can't be_ _ **mailed**_ _or anything."_

 _Dan gave her an exasperated look. "Of course it can't be mailed. It probably wouldn't be allowed-"_

 _But then he stopped and flashed her a smile that was laced with entirely too much innocence. "Thanks Ames. You're the best sister in the world."_

* **End Flashback***

Amy shook her head at the memory, but she felt a trace of fondness for Dan. And Hamilton too, because her little brother seemed to be doing a lot better now that they had reconnected.

After giving herself one more glance in the mirror, Amy exited the restroom and entered back into the restaurant. Right away she spotted Hamilton. His bulky figure looked out of place in the small room, but she thought it kind of fit at the same time. He turned slightly as she approached and his gaze lit up the instant he saw her.

Her heart skipped a beat - though she had no idea why - but she didn't have time to think about it because he was already pulling her into a hug.

"Hey, there you are. I thought I saw your car."

Returning the hug, though tentatively, she waited until he released her before explaining, "Yes. I got caught in the rain earlier and had to freshen up. It was brutal."

Amy noticed Hamilton giving her a once-over, but she didn't feel weirded out by it. He definitely wasn't checking her out, just responding to her words.

"Well, you look great." He stated, like it was a fact and not a matter of opinion. "Do you want to go ahead and sit down? It's open seating here."

"Uh, sure." She said, following him to a booth near the back. "Do they come take our orders?"

"Nope. We have to use the telephone."

Amy was settling in and putting her purse to the side, so she wasn't looking at Hamilton. But she could hear the grin in his voice. Peering up at him, she followed the incline of his head. There was an old-fashioned red and black telephone sitting right beside the ketchup, complete with a rotary dial.

"Whoa, that's pretty cool." Amy said, running her fingers over the dial.

Without even thinking, she picked it up, only to hear a pleasant voice say, "Yes, are you ready to order?"

Flustered, she stammered out, "Uh, n-no. I was just…"

Hamilton reached over and took the phone from her, "Actually, can we go ahead and get drinks? We'll order our food later. Ok great. I'll take a vanilla root beer. Amy?"

"The same." She said quickly, not even bothering to look at the menu.

Fighting the feeling of being an idiot, she inspected the restaurant instead. She hadn't really gotten a good look at it yet, being too distracted when she first arrived. It sort of had a 1950s feel to it, but not quite. There was carpet and not checkered floors, but the phones, the bar area, and even some of the decor reminded her of that era. But it wasn't overkill.

"Isn't it great?" Hamilton's voice broke into her inspection. "My dad used to bring me here all the time, when we were in the area. Normally we were driving to and from games."

"It's cute." Amy admitted, then turned to look at him. "Games you two watched? Or ones you played in?"

"Both. Probably more games we watched though. Most of my games were pretty close to where we lived."

"Oh, I see."

Not wanting things to get awkward since she wasn't crazy about sports and wasn't sure what else to say, she pulled Dan's gadget from her purse. "Before I forget, this is from Dan. I think it was something he was working on for you?"

"Oh yeah, tell him thanks." Hamilton took it from her, and it almost seemed like his hand lingered on hers for longer than necessary.

Frowning, she pulled her hand back. "I will."

There was silence again, but this time Hamilton broke it, "Hey, speaking of Dan, did he tell you about Reagan's ballet competition in May?"

Amy searched her brain for a memory of the topic, but came up blank. "No, I don't think he did."

"Oh, well it's still four months away but I was hoping that you and Dan could come to it. She's really excited about it and depending on how it goes, she could go to nationals. It's in Orlando."

' _Figures that Dan would forget to tell me about something that major.'_ She thought. Out loud, she said, "No, he definitely didn't. Wow, that's awesome!"

"Yeah we're super proud of her." He said, and Amy believed him. The smile that lit his face reminded her of when he had told her back in October how smart she had been during the Clue hunt. Not knowing why that thought came to her now, she pushed it away.

As the evening went on, Amy had to admit to herself that Hamilton was a really fun person to be around. Not as 'stupid' as the Thomas were always believed to be anyways (though she hated to label anyone, personally). To her surprise, when she offhandedly mentioned what she was studying in her history class, Hamilton latched on to the topic and they ended up having a deep discussion about economics. _Economics._

And then, once they had received their food, Hamilton brought up something that made Amy want to retreat.

"So how is life in general for you? Like outside of school? You have a boyfriend, right?"

To some, the question might have seemed like a 'dig' for information. But Amy didn't take it that way. She did wish though, that he hadn't asked her that.

"I did for a while." Amy picked at her jeans, pretending that there was something on them. "Um, we broke up eight months ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He answered, actually sounding sad for her.

"Don't be. He was a total douche." She stated, then flushed. "I guess I'm still bitter over it."

At Hamilton's questioning look, she sighed and admitted, "We were already having other issues, but I caught him making out with another girl from school. So that's when I decided to end it. Of course, it was still _my_ fault, according to him."

"Amy."

At the sound of her name coming off of his lips that way, all gentle, she abruptly stopped talking and glanced up.

Hamilton looked sympathetic, but there was also a glint of steel in his eye. "I'm sorry that you got hurt. But honestly? It's probably a good thing that you caught him, because you deserve _way_ better than that."

She was about to thank him for saying that, but he wasn't done.

"I mean, what guy is that stupid to be dating _you_ and then cheat like that? He doesn't sound like the brightest person on the planet."

A warm feeling spread through Amy then, and unfortunately must have showed up on her cheeks, because Hamilton quickly added, "I'm not trying to embarrass you. But it's true."

"Thanks Hamilton." She said softly, smiling directly into his bright blue eyes so that he would know that his words were appreciated.

He returned the look, and it was a couple of heartbeats before Amy found her voice. "So, what about you? What's been going on in your world?"

Hamilton started to answer the question, but Amy was only half-listening as he rambled on about the different activities he was involved in. And her distraction _wasn't_ due to lack of interest, but the total opposite. She was interested all right, and not just because Hamilton was a good relative, or even friend _._

Was she _falling_ for him?

Amy didn't have a problem admitting that the guy sitting across from her was attractive and intriguing. Not to mention genuinely sweet. And considerate - if you were counting the jacket move back in October.

' _The jacket.'_

The thought hit her, and it took a minute to realize that Hamilton had gone quiet.

"Amy? Are you ok?"

"Yes, um, sorry!" She gulped, knowing that he probably knew she hadn't been listening. Feeling guilty, she blurted, "I didn't mean to not listen. It's just that I forgot your jacket!"

At his blank stare, she added, "You know, the one you let me borrow at the game? The one that I've had for three months now?"

"Oh." He grinned, " _That_ jacket. Honestly, I had forgotten all about it. You can just keep it if you want."

She frowned at his nonchalance, not sure what to make of it. "No, it's yours. And I totally meant to grab it. I can't believe-"

A touch on her hand halted her, and she gulped, looking down to see that he had rested his hand on hers. "Hey, it's ok, really."

Now his grin relaxed into amusement. "I meant it when I said that I have plenty. Besides, it will make you think of me."

Then his face colored and he looked panicked, almost like he hadn't meant for that to slip out. He also quickly drew back his hand. Not wanting things to get awkward, Amy let out a quick laugh, "And how nice you are? That sounds about right."

Hamilton laughed too, but it sounded forced. "Well, are you ready to pay? We've been here a while and I don't want you to have to drive back super late."

Glancing at her watch, she was surprised to see that they had been at the restaurant longer than she had originally intended to stay.

Within minutes they had gotten their check, and after a few seconds of debate, Hamilton had paid for it.

"I was planning to buy yours and Dan's both." He stated firmly, after Amy had tried using the 'date' card.

She frowned at him, but didn't protest anymore. There wasn't a point to arguing more anyways; Hamilton was way too nice of a guy to let her pay.

' _What would it be like to date someone like that? Who's maybe not so much of a 'bad boy' but just kind and considerate?'_

It was too short of a walk to her car; already Amy was dreading the quiet drive home, something she normally enjoyed.

"Well, drive safely." Hamilton turned to her as she unlocked her car.

Amy didn't get in though, instead turning to face him too. "Ok, you too. You're the one that has the longest way to go."

"Yeah but I'm leaving in the morning, not late at night. Please call or text me when you're home."

She smiled at him, suddenly feeling the urge to vocalize what she was thinking. "I definitely will. And I just want to let you know, that you are seriously one of the sweetest guys I know Ham."

Surprise came into his eyes, but he returned her smile. "Thanks. That's high praise coming from you."

And then he hugged her. It was almost like the hug he greeted her earlier with, but not quite. Maybe it was only her imagination, but it seemed like he gripped her waist just a little tighter, and held her to him just a little longer.

Then he stepped back, and his face had changed. There was something glinting in his eyes that Amy couldn't read. Before she could figure it out though, he spoke.

"We need to meet up again. Before May."

She was already nodding. "Of course. I know that Dan-"

"I do want to see Dan. But"- he visibly gulped, -"I don't know, I kind of liked just talking to you. So maybe one time we can just hang out? By ourselves?"

It took Amy a few beats to comprehend his words, _and_ the almost nervous expression that had crossed his face.

"Like a date?" The words left her lips before she could help them. She inwardly blanched at her own question, but part of her _wanted_ to know if that's what he meant.

Hamilton didn't hesitate before responding. "If you want it to be. I mean, you probably don't see me like that. Or maybe you do - but probably not. I mean, I'm a Thomas and you're a Madrigal and you probably would rather go for someone like Ian. Not that it's a bad thing but-"

"Hamilton."

He halted, throwing her a sheepish look.

Amy allowed the smile that had been threatening to break through during his speech now appear on her face.

"I have a proposition for you."

Before he could say anything she rushed on, while she still had the nerve. "How about we meet up again like you mentioned without the pressure of, 'oh, it's a date' and see what happens? _Then-"_ She stressed the word, -"we can figure out where to go from there."

"Ok." Hamilton answered, but she could tell he wasn't sure what to make of her words.

Mustering up her bravery, she said, "I really like you. I just don't want to rush into anything. Or bring any baggage from my previous relationship."

Understanding lit his eyes, and he returned her smile. "Got it."

A short pause, then, "So it looks like we're on the same page Amy Cahill. Because I really like you too."

Trying not to appear as affected as she felt, she kept the smile on her face and then gave him another quick hug. "See you later."

She could feel his eyes following her as she backed up, got into her car, and then carefully maneuvered her way out of the small parking lot.

He didn't grin or smile, but he lifted his hand in a wave - a gesture she returned - and watched as she left.

Humming to herself, Amy finally allowed the giddy grin she had been holding in to stretch across her face.

She would have to thank her little brother for this one.

* * *

 **Next up: Alina follow-up! Then I'm going to try out a Dan/Reagan!**


	12. Something Worth Keeping (Alina)

**It seems like I haven't updated in forever! My life got really busy and a bit stressful, and then I went through a horrible writer's block in the middle of writing this. But I hope you enjoy it, and that it's not too corny. ;)**

 **Oh, and Kyparissia39 is a DEAR for being so patient. This one's for you darling!**

* * *

 _ **Something Worth Keeping**_

She was so _stupid_.

And it wasn't because she had just boarded the wrong train, been kicked off of it in the most humiliating way possible by the attendant, only to realize that she missed the train heading to Sestroretsk, Russia.

No she, Irina Spasky, was 'stupid' for an entirely different reason.

' _To think that I actually fancied myself in love. Bleh. With that annoyingly stubborn, irritating EKAT.'_

Furiously, she plopped down on a metal chair and tried not to think. People passed her, talking, laughing, stupid smiles etched on their faces, but she blocked them out. Or, she attempted to.

One child, apparently not intimidated by her stern glare, walked up to the bench she was sitting on and smiled at her innocently. Irina placed the girl's age to be five. She was cute, with frizzy red hair and big blue eyes, eyes that were now smiling into hers.

Sighing, the former agent gave in to the warmth that was hovering right outside of her brooding mind and smiled back at the little girl. She was immediately rewarded with a wider grin, revealing a missing tooth in the front.

"What's your name?" The girl asked, but before Irina could answer her a lady rushed up, probably the girl's mother.

"I'm so sorry!" The tall blonde said, tugging her daughter away, but a fond expression stretched across the woman's features as she looked down at the child.

Something twitched in Irina's heart, and she let out another sigh, but this one was internal. Out loud, she assured the blonde-haired lady that the girl was fine and even mustered up the word 'cute'. It was only once they disappeared into a train that Irina allowed the smile to fade from her face. Looking at her hands, which were clenching the fabric of her jacket, she told herself to go back to her state of apathy.

' _You don't care, remember? He's not worth it.'_

Another twinge, but she ignored it, planning on what she would do once she was home.

 _Home._

Her mind immediately went to the place she had been living the last eight months. That had become home to her, though it was hundreds of miles away from the place she had always considered her home.

Since that one date with Alistair, when he had convinced her to stay and even to start a relationship with him, she had been content to stay in South Korea. The Clue hunt had taken a lot out of both of them, and Irina had told herself that she needed the time off. Hadn't she sacrificed enough of her time and efforts? But it hadn't been an easy transfer. She and Alistair got into the stupidest fights and they were over the _stupidest_ things too.

While she wasn't naive enough to believe that couples never fought, the arguments that had taken place the last couple of days had been horrible.

' _Maybe all of it was a mistake. Maybe thinking that I could finally be happy was just an illusion.'_

"Ma'am?"

Her head jerked up to see a young, blonde-haired man in front of her.

"What?" Irina practically snapped out.

The man flinched and stepped back, probably startled, but Irina couldn't bring herself to feel guilty. Didn't people know that when someone was glaring at the ground, they obviously didn't want to be bothered?

"Uh-um," He stammered, "I was just going to let you know that there's a person over there that keeps staring at you."

Irina tensed up, all sorts of scenarios running through her mind. Did someone from the Lucian branch know that she was alive somehow? It wasn't like she had been super careful the past 24 hours. She had been so focused on getting out of the country that she hadn't bothered to forge any documents or to don a disguise.

"What do they look like?" She asked the man, being careful to keep her face neutral, all the while scoping out possible exit strategies.

"It's an older person. I think a male. But I can't pick out any facial features; he's hiding behind a newspaper."

 _Older. Male. Newspaper._

Irina relaxed for three seconds, _'Oh, it's only Alistair-wait, Alistair?!'_

The name sent alarm coursing through her. He was here? Surely not. When Irina had left hours ago, yelling over her shoulder that she would never be back and she hoped that his next burrito invention was a failure, the emotion on Alistair's face had been one of anger. So why would he be here now? Probably the guy in front of her was just being paranoid.

Trying to smile, she looked up again, "Thank you for letting me know. I'll be fine."

The man didn't look too sure, but dipped his head and backed away. Irina felt a flicker of satisfaction over the fact that she could still intimidate people. Maybe she hadn't lost all of her talent after all. After dating Alistair, Irina had almost been worried that she was too soft now, and would be unable to conform back to her old way of life like she was planning to.

After the man fully retreated Irina chanced a peek around, but didn't notice anything amiss. There wasn't anyone in sight holding a newspaper, and finally, she determined that the informant was just someone on some strange medication. Instead, she turned her focus back to her home country.

* * *

The train had only been moving for about thirty seconds when Irina felt eyes on her.

It was a strange feeling, but natural at the same time. She was used to espionage type missions, when there were risks involved that included things like spying. But normally, _she_ was the one doing the dirty work. So this setup she didn't like, not one bit.

Faking a yawn, Irina abruptly stood up and shifted around, flicking her eyes over the other members on the train. No one paid her any mind, and she took the opportunity to study them closely. No newspaper, no elderly men that could resemble her recent ex. Really, there was no one that looked remotely suspicious.

But after about twenty minutes of this Irina decided to walk around, so she rose and carefully made her way to the back of the train. And then she saw him. A man, dressed in a long coat with his head buried behind a magazine.

Alistair Oh.

He caught her gaze and his eyes widened. Then, he quickly ducked his head, like she was an idiot that didn't have eyes in her head.

"What are you doing here?!" She tried to whisper it but it came out loud enough for the surrounding passengers to hear, she could feel their stares.

The Ekat didn't even look up or acknowledge her question, and infuriation settled in her chest.

Grinding her teeth, she put her hand on his arm and yanked him up and into the next car. Thankfully, this one only had a few people in it, and it appeared to be a large family that was caught up in a happy discussion. The laughter was so loud that Irina was sure her conversation wouldn't be heard.

"Shall we sit?" Alistair motioned toward a row of empty seats. His tone was easy, casual, and irked Irina even further.

"Of course we should sit." She growled out. "And then we need to talk."

Silently, they made their way to the row, Irina trying to figure out where she was going to start and _what_ Alistair's intentions were by being here. What was the point of following her anyways?

She had just made up her mind that she was going to ask him, when the train lurched and cries of alarm sounded in front of them. The next thing she registered was that she was stumbling, so she frantically reached out to try to grasp the seat in front of her.

But a steady arm wrapped around her waist, righting her before she could fall. Though she was grateful in a way that Alistair had caught her, she hated herself for the secure feeling that she felt at his move. And the feeling wasn't just from her not falling, it was the assurance that his presence _always_ brought her.

' _Stupid. You're stupid for feeling that way.'_

Mumbling a quick 'thank you', she wiggled from his embrace and looked towards the front of the car, where the family was now talking to each other rapidly, their voices rising in excitement.

It was hard to make out words, but the children were discussing how 'far out' it would be if the train was being held up and robbed. Instead of being annoyed at their immaturity, Irina felt a pang of affection as the words reminded her of something Dan Cahill would have said.

"The train still isn't moving," Alistair stated. "Should we go find out what is going on?"

"You can do what you want."

She knew her voice was flippant and probably rude but she couldn't find it in herself to care. _He_ was the one who crashed into her personal space while she was trying to distance herself from him.

Irina felt his eyes on her as she took her seat, but she chose to look out the window, and seconds later heard his footsteps moving away. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she leaned her head against the cool glass and wished that she could turn back the time. Before her fight with Alistair, before the Clue hunt, before all of the bad decisions she had made in her lifetime.

' _You've been here before. Stop. You were just beginning to let go of the past and live again.'_

It was hard, but she managed to push the thoughts away, blank her mind out, and pretend that she was a little girl again, carefree and optimistic. Well, 'optimistic' was probably exaggerating some, but she did wish she could go back. _Sometimes_.

After only minutes she heard Alistair return. He was followed by an attendant who announced to the car that they weren't sure when they would have an ETA, but hopefully it would be soon.

"It's nothing to be distressed over," the man assured, a pleasant smile on his face. "And nothing that cannot be fixed. We will let everyone know what's going on as soon as we can."

Irina eyed him warily, wondering just _how long_ was 'soon'. The train ride was already supposed to be over a day of travel-time. But she supposed it didn't matter. Once she told Alistair that she was moving back to Russia and that was final, she could put this all behind her.

In fact, she was going to tell him now since he was settling in beside her. Opening her mouth, she turned and started to speak but was cut off by a thought. Alistair was inventive, why didn't he go help with whatever the issue was here?

She cleared her throat and said in a low tone, "Do you know what the problem is?"

The corner of the Ekat's lips turned up. "Whatever do you mean?"

Taking his vague response as a 'yes', she leaned close to him - close enough for her to feel uncomfortable - and hissed, "Why aren't you helping them _fix_ it so we can _go_?!"

He stayed calm, something that he did constantly, and something that infuriated her to no end. "I do not wish to draw attention to the fact that I have excellent inventive skills. What if the wrong person is around and gets suspicious?"

"You know that's not the reason." She snapped back. "You're just doing it to - what do you call it - 'drive me batty'. And it's not going to work."

With that, she turned back to the window, blindly staring out at the trees, wishing that was the real reason she was feeling so upset.

She heard a sigh beside her, but Irina didn't turn. If he wanted to be a complete idiot and stay here then he could.

"I thought you wanted to talk."

His words reminded her that she _had_ wanted to talk, but now all she wanted was for him to stay quiet.

' _If only I would have stuck my nails on that had anesthetic in them and not the ones that have lethal poison. I don't want to kill him, just knock him out for a few hours.'_

She was tempted to turn around and bite out a retort, but made herself keep it in.

' _Be patient. You'll be home soon. If this blasted train starts moving, that is.'_

* * *

Alistair wasn't having the best day. In fact, he decided now, sitting beside a stone-faced Irina, that it was one of the worst ones he had experienced in quite a while.

He couldn't believe she had actually _left_ this morning. True, they had both been angry and the former agent had told him that she would never come back. But it wasn't until he had sat there and waited for over an hour that he realized how serious she looked when she said the words. After a few inquiries, he was alarmed to find that she had purchased a one-way train ticket to Russia.

The moments after that had all been a blur. Once he arrived at the station though, doubt hit him as he spied on Irina and realized how ticked off she still looked. Purchasing his own ticket seemed to be the only safe course of action.

' _I was hoping by the time she spotted me that she would be calmer, or at the least, more apt to forgive. But she doesn't even want me to touch her. Or even be near her, for that matter.'_

But then, just as he was about to admit defeat, something caught his eye from the front of the car, and it gave him an idea. Standing to his feet, he said, "I'll be back in a minute. Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

He took Irina's seething glare as a 'no', and ambled down the aisle. It was time to put his plan into action and maneuver his way back into her good graces.

* * *

Irina wasn't in the mood for games. All she wanted to do was to get to Russia, work on re-establishing her role with the Lucians, receive an assignment, and concentrate on what she was good at. With Isabel caught and locked up, that obstacle was out of the way. The _last_ thing she wanted was to be stuck with Alistair on a train for who knows how long, with him pretending like everything was alright.

She had no idea how long she had been sitting there when a small voice sounded beside her.

"Miss, can you help me?"

Startled, she turned and looked to see who it was. One of the children of the family sharing the train car was blinking at her, a doleful expression on his face. He couldn't have been older than six or seven, and she felt her defenses drop a little.

"What is it child?"

"My _name_ is Anthony." The little dark-haired boy puffed his chest out as he spoke, and Irina barely held in her smile. "I need your help with this paper. Can you read it to me?"

Frowning, she looked at the little scrap in his hand, wondering why he had asked her instead of a member of his family. But when she glanced over in their direction, most of them were gone. Perhaps he really did need help.

Wordlessly, she took the paper from him and starting reading out loud.

" _ **Belly up to the bar, and ask for a drink. If that doesn't work, ask to look in the sink."**_

Wait, _what? 'Belly up to the bar?'_

Before she could utter her disbelief, Anthony spoke, a pout on his lips.

"It's my older siblings. They're such a pain. They stole my game and I think they're sending me on a hunt to get it. But I can't go into that car without an adult with me…"

He trailed off, and immediately Irina's suspicions rose. If the siblings had stolen the game, why not tell his parents or another adult in his family? Surely they would make the other children retrieve it without the hunt. But she supposed that even as a child, the boy had his pride.

Letting out a sigh, she stood. Why not help the little tyke? It would help her take her mind off of her own problems. And it's not like these clues were anything compared those in the Clue hunt. Within no time she could help him and return to her broodings.

"Lead the way."

* * *

After convincing the bartender that she _wasn't_ crazy and that he needed to check his sink for a game or paper, the duo had received the next clue. It was as easy as the last one had been, directing them to yet another distinctive car. The clue read: _**"Don't be lame, if you want your game, go to the car where games are played."**_

Anthony had seemed confused at first, but when Irina told him it was probably in the lounge where the board games were, the boy's gaze had turned admiring. She was starting to warm up to the kid, before he stated, "Wow, you're pretty smart. For an old lady and all."

"An _old_ lady?" She sputtered, but he was already disappearing into the next car.

All she could do was follow, trying to check her temper. He was only a child after all, though he had some things to learn about respect.

The lounge car was nice, extra-long with rows of chairs, and lined with shelves filled with books and board games. There were a few people playing cards, but no one paid them much attention.

"Let's start checking the games." Irina said, taking charge.

But Anthony shook his head, "It's not there."

He stated it so confidently that her suspicion returned.

"How do you know that? Where is it then?"

"Oh, that's easy. It's on that bookcase. The only one I can't reach."

' _His siblings must be brutal, if he thinks it's up there'_ she thought, eyeing the impressive corner bookshelf in the opposite end of the car. It was tall, almost _too_ tall for even her to reach, and held the most horrifying book genre that existed: romance.

' _Disgusting.'_

Still, she figured that checking it and ruling it out early wouldn't hurt.

As she approached the bookcase, Anthony spoke up yet again. "It's probably under that book called _'Short of a Miracle', s_ ince I get made fun of for being the shortest."

Ignoring the doubt in her gut, she lifted the title, and sure enough, there was another paper.

"Okay let's read it and-"

"Hold on." Irina held up the clue while narrowing her eyes at the boy. "What's going on here?"

"Huh?"

The little face staring back at her was innocent. _Too_ innocent.

"Look kid, I don't have time for this game, or whatever it is."

She could have gone on and on, exasperation rising over this entire day, but Anthony's brown eyes suddenly filled with tears, and made her halt mid-sentence. And it also made her feel like a horrible person. Why was she so suspicious anyways? So he predicted where the clue would be, based on his mean older siblings. That didn't mean anything. She had been a spy too long.

Groaning internally, she inhaled a deep breath. "Ah, never mind. I'm sorry. I want to help you."

His eyes brightened, and just like that, the tears vanished. This kid had some crazy emotions.

Irina turned her attention back to the clue, reading out loud, _**"Hungry from searching? Go to table three. That is where I'll be waiting, with an apology."**_

Her first thought was that the next location was in the dining car. The second thought was that the word 'I'll' seemed to be inappropriate. Didn't Anthony keep referring to 'siblings', which was plural? Also, with the way he talked about them, an apology seemed to be just as odd. Unless it was a trick…

' _A trick. You don't think-'_

"Come on Ms. Irina, I know where this one is."

Anthony's face was lit up with a smile, and he was pulling on her arm like this clue had a time bomb attached to it.

She followed him, but dread started to pool in her stomach. She hadn't given him her name, had she? After a quick recap of their short dialogs, she was convinced that she hadn't done so. Now she was certain that Alistair had something to do with this. Wouldn't it be just like him?

But as they entered into the dining car, he was nowhere in sight. And table three was occupied. A closer inspection though, revealed that it was some of the family members of Anthony.

"What in the-"

But the little boy - now almost jumping up and down with a gleeful smile on his face - was tugging her towards the table.

"Look in the middle! Look in the middle!" He exclaimed.

Gulping she did so, laying her eyes on it hesitantly. But all that was there was a small envelope with her name on it.

The woman sitting there motion for her to take the item, and then tilted her head towards the empty seat beside her. "Sit please," She requested, her voice light and airy.

Feeling like she had no choice, she obeyed. What if it wasn't Alistair? What if it was the Lucians? But that didn't really make sense. Finally, she figured that she wouldn't know until she saw what was inside.

Sliding her long fingernails under the cream-colored flap, she opened it and took out the paper that was inside.

 _Irina, please forgive me for being a complete idiot. I need you in my life. I don't think you realize how much joy you have brought to it in the last couple of months. And please don't be angry for the scene that I'm about to create._

The note wasn't signed, but she knew who it was, without a doubt. And he was right to be worried about the 'scene' that hadn't even happened yet, because already she was fighting the urge to hunt him down and unleash her nails on him.

"Look up!" A young girl at the table said, following the words with a sigh and a "Isn't it romantic?"

At the other end of the car, Alistair appeared, holding a bouquet of roses, a remorseful look on his face, and trailing behind him were squealing passengers.

Irina wanted to die. Partly from embarrassment, but partly because her heart started thumping a little faster. This was for her? Because he was _sorry_?

Swallowing, she tried to put on a stern facial expression, to show that this wasn't affecting her. But his gaze stayed the same, as if not noticing her efforts. Or he was just ignoring them.

"Irina, please forgive me. I'm sorry for hurting you, and if I could do it over I would never had started that argument."

She had to admit, as she sat there fighting with her emotions, that the last line impressed her most of all. If she recalled correctly, _she_ had been the one that started the argument. And here he was, taking all of the blame for it. Irina couldn't help it, her heart started to thump faster and turn into mush. Another annoying quality he brought out in her.

"I wonder what their fight was about."

The whisper came from her left, and with a start, Irina realized that she couldn't even remember. Wasn't that odd? Hadn't she been so angry only minutes ago, angry enough to leave and return home? Angry enough to leave one of the best things-

Alistair was speaking again, so she redirected her focus.

"Give me another chance. I meant what I said in the note, that I've never been happier with you in my life."

That was it, she couldn't let him just keep talking. Not only did she have her _own_ apologizing to do, but the eager crowd around them (currently straining to listen and making 'aww' faces at each other) didn't need to hear everything.

Abruptly, she stood.

"Let's talk. Alone."

Faces fell in disappointment as she voiced the last word, but she didn't care. Irina was already grasping on to Alistair's free arm and was hauling him out the door.

Once they made it back to their previous car, now completely empty, Irina spoke.

"This is hard to admit, but I was wrong too."

With a sigh, she looked back out at the trees, now swaying slightly with the increased wind. "What were we even fighting about?"

A funny look crossed Alistair's face as he lifted his head up to the ceiling, as if trying to think.

"Exactly. Neither of us can remember, can we? I guess I got so mad because I feel like all we do is fight. What if it's a sign? What if we're making a mistake by being together?"

"Wait, Irina."

She halted. His voice was quiet, but firm. He went on, "We do fight a lot. But we're also older, more set in our ways. And we both have had general 'Cahill' lives, where we were taught to not value anything but the clues, and to despise other branches. So it's natural. Plus", he let out a cough, "we both have a stubborn side."

She wanted to protest, but knew that it was true. "So what are you saying, that we should try this relationship thing again?"

"I want to. I really do care about you Irina. In fact…"

But he trailed off, suddenly looking off to the side and not meeting her gaze.

"In fact what?" She said in a rough whisper, not sure _why_ she had just lowered her voice. But the mood had shifted somehow.

"I love you."

The words didn't sound real. They sounded like they came from a place far away and distant. Not from Alistair Oh, the only other person in the train car besides her. Or maybe it seemed like that because Irina's brain had gone numb?

She managed to choke out a "what?" But that was all she could do, her eyes still focused on the side of Alistair's face.

"I know. You probably will really want to run to Russia now. But I mean it." Alistair stated, looking at her again head-on. His eyes held nervousness, but were also determined, as if he'd known this fact for a long time. "I love you Irina."

Her mouth felt dry, and the thought flickered through her mind that she should say it back, because deep down on the inside, she knew the truth, the truth that she had already admitted to herself. She loved him too. This exasperating, irritating, _wonderful_ man in front of her. And that's why she had run away, because the thought of them perhaps not being compatible had hurt.

But she couldn't get the words out, instead slowly letting out a breath as she pressed a hand to her face and tried to think.

"You don't have to say anything. I know that you don't take words like that lightly. But at least give me another chance? Even if you go back t-to Russia."

Normally Alistair was so composed, and it was his stumbling on the last bit that made her find her voice.

"I'm not sure what to say. But I think I love you too Alistair. I don't know, it's hard to know for certain, to figure out, I…"

Sure that he would be disappointed at her answer, she was stunned to see a happy smile on his face when she lowered her hand to look at him.

"We have time to figure it out, if we decide to take it. What do you say?"

Irina pursed her lips, eyeing him cautiously. "I say that we use the rest of the train ride to talk out our feelings and figure out what to do. And then when we get to Russia, I'll show you around the place I grew up. If we can manage that without another blow-up, then we should be good."

The smile stayed on his face as she talked, and she found herself matching his expression.

Just then, the door opened and a couple of heads peeked in.

' _Ah, the little traitor is among them.'_

But there was affection in her thoughts as Anthony and a few of his other family members gathered in the doorway. With a sigh, she motioned them in.

"Did you two make up?" The younger girl asked, her eyes gleaming.

"Yes we did. Thank you so much for your help." Alistair said graciously.

Thankfully, all they did (besides a few squeals) was smile, and then pretended to ignore the couple as they reclaimed their seats.

Irina turned back to Alistair, but lowered her voice just in case.

"So you roped them into helping you I see. Please tell me that you weren't the one that wrote those pathetic rhymes."

An insulted look crossed his face, but Irina only rolled her eyes.

"Pathetic? I thought they were pretty good considering the time crunch."

"Time crunch? We're stuck on a train and still have over a day of traveling left!"

Alistair grinned suddenly, "Yes dear, but with how angry you were, I thought perhaps that you would figure out a way to leave the train. I felt the need to hurry."

She doubted the truthfulness of his words, but then decided that it didn't matter. After all, he had followed her to the train, risked her wrath, and then took the first step in reconciling with the apology. And it was obvious that he had gone to some effort, even if the clues had been horrendously simple.

"Well," taking another breath, this one feeling more freeing than the others, Irina smiled at him once more, "shall we discuss this over a drink? All of this emotion is rather tiring."

"Of course. My treat."

He held out his arm to her in a gallant gesture, and she took it, feeling peace seep back into her soul.

As they walked passed the other occupants of the car, she sent a wink to Anthony, a look which he returned. He really was a sweet little boy. Maybe one day adoption would be poss- but she caught herself, not wanting to think too far ahead.

For now, this moment was enough.

* * *

 **:D I have to say, Irina/Alistair has really grown on me since I've delved into their characters to write them.**

 **Up next is Dan/Reagan, and I'm pretty stoked for this one...I think the pairing is adorable so thanks for the request!**


	13. Boredom & Butterflies Pt 1 (Dan-Reagan)

**So here it is – the Dan/Reagan story that TKLucky39 requested. I have to say, being a HUGE Natan shipper, I wasn't expecting to fall in love with this pairing. But, as I wrote, it totally happened! I probably will end up writing more; these two are just so cute! (I wrote about 3,000 words in one sit-down, a really rare feat for me 8O)**

 **Additional A/N - After much confusion, self-debate, and help from a friend (SO to Kyparissia39 lol) about both Reagan AND Dan's hair colors (there's a lot of inconsistency in the book series) I decided to go with brown for Reagan and blonde for Dan. If you picture it a different way, just switch it out as you read. ;)**

* * *

 _ **Boredom and Butterflies**_

Sitting in the car, only minutes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dan figured that he _should_ be excited. He loved road trips, loved getting away from the 'norm' that his life had become. But it was hard to muster up feelings of joy, when his sister, AKA Amy Cahill, was going on and on about her boyfriend.

She was _so_ annoying sometimes. Today, even more than usual.

A loud sigh from across the seat caught his attention, and he cut his eyes over towards the source. "What?"

"Why are you so grumpy? I thought you liked hanging out with Hamilton!"

Dan eyed Amy, wondering if she had any idea how sappy she looked with that half smile on her face. It was a smile that she wore every time the blonde-haired Holt was mentioned, and it grated on his nerves.

Hamilton was supposed to be _his_ friend.

He still was in a way, but now that he was dating his sister, Dan barely could speak to him without Amy being involved.

At first, he had been surprised when the two had announced that they were a couple. But he hadn't minded or anything. He figured he would just get to see Hamilton more often. And he did, only Amy hogged him _all_ of the time. I mean, he understood, sort of, but it was constantly. He couldn't even get five minutes to talk about video games the last time he had tagged along on a trip to Wisconsin.

And here they were again, only minutes away from the plaza where they were meeting up with Hamilton, and he was facing the same scenario.

"I do like hanging out with him, but I'm not in the mood to sit and watch you two stare into each other's eyes 24/7! It's annoying!" He finally burst out.

His sister rolled her eyes at him. "We don't do that!"

"It sure seems like it to me. At least it was the last time I came along."

Amy sighed again. "Dan, we've been over this. I promised you that we would all hang out. Last time was a little different because it was my first time seeing him since we agreed to start dating."

Dan knew that this was true, and they _had_ talked about this yesterday. But hearing her gush the last few hours had brought all of those memories up again.

"Fine. But remember the deal. If it's too mushy, I'm going back home and you can't get mad at me."

" _Fine._ "

Now she was scowling at him, but he ignored her, staring at the window instead.

* * *

When they arrived at the outdoor plaza in the middle of the city, Hamilton was nowhere in sight.

"That's strange," Amy mused, frowning out around the bustling square, looking for her boyfriend. "He should have been here by now."

Dan watched as she pulled out her phone, scanned something, then looked up.

"A text just came in from him, though it was sent twenty minutes ago. We must have been in a dead spot."

"And?" Dan asked impatiently. "What does it say?"

"That he had to swing by and get Reagan for his mom. So it looks like she will be joining us."

"Great."

He responded automatically, but he had already lost interest. Instead, his gaze was captured by a couple strolling across the plaza, staring into each other's eyes and walking right over several jets of water that just happened to be going off. He snickered, drawing his sister's attention over to it too.

She rolled her eyes at his laughter, but didn't lecture. Dan figured the only reason for that was that she was once again staring around for Hamilton, but that was fine with him.

 _People are so_ _ **stupid**_ _when they're all over each other like that._

While Dan had his share of ex-girlfriends and still got the occasional crush, he was uncomfortable with all of that over-the-top stuff.

 _I mean,_ he thought as he watched the couple stumble away, both laughing and unfazed when they should have been embarrassed over what had just happened, _Is that what love does to someone? Geez._

"Oh look, there they are!" Amy's excited voice cut in his musings.

Dan followed her motion and saw Hamilton and Reagan coming towards them, easily shoving their way through the crowd.

Hamilton wore a huge smile on his face, his eyes already glued to Amy's, so Dan looked over at the other figure beside him.

He hadn't seen Reagan Holt in a long time, and he was startled to see how much older she looked. Her clothes were predictable; a sports jacket like her brothers, jeans, and sneakers, but her face had matured. Also her hair caught his attention. It was pulled back into a high ponytail, but it was still _everywhere._ He wondered if she had been playing a game or something.

Her eyes met his, but he didn't have the chance to feel weird for studying her, because she threw him a polite smile. Relieved, he returned it and then looked back over at Hamilton.

It looked like he and Amy were done with their greeting, so Dan stepped up. The Holt grinned at him, leaned in for their normal crazy handshake, and then gestured to Reagan.

"Hey, Reagan's going to hang with us too. At least for a bit, my mom might come by and get her if she can."

Amy smiled over at the girl, "Oh, did you just come from a practice?"

"Yes, for an upcoming soccer game."

 _That would explain the hair._ Dan thought, before his attention turned to the restaurant they were walking towards.

It looked like a pizza place, much to his relief. _That_ would definitely make this day better. Already, as Hamilton and Amy walked hand in hand, he felt left out. It was like they were in their own little world, even whispering to each other.

Dan happened to glance over at Reagan, and caught her eye roll.

 _Huh. Maybe it annoys her too._

But the smell of baking crust and pepperoni once again distracted him. Time to bury himself in an extra-large with the works.

* * *

Burying only worked for so long.

Dan had been sitting there for what seemed like _ages_ , his pizza long ago consumed, ready to murder his sister.

It was just like before. The little looks, the secret jokes, the _ignoring_ him when he spoke. In fact, Dan decided to test it now, clearing his throat as he looked across the plaza.

"So maybe after this we should walk over there."

He pointed to a couple of stores as he spoke, not even knowing what they contained, but wanting to do something else besides sit here.

"Oh that's cool." Amy said, not even sparing him a glance.

He stared at her in disbelief, then let out a softer sigh and twiddled his thumbs. With the couple at the table caught up in their own conversation and the other Holt present being so quiet, all that was left to do was to people watch. Or he could play games on his phone, but he had already done that almost the entire way here and it didn't sound like that much fun.

As his bored gaze once again scanned the plaza, it landed on Reagan, who was seated across from him. Dan almost shifted his eyes right on past, but the expression on her face caused him to halt.

Annoyance.

It wasn't directed at him, because the brown-haired girl was frowning out at the fountain, but he could clearly see his own feelings over this situation reflected on her face. He leaned in and tried to catch her eye, but her gaze remained steady. Then he followed her eyes to the fountain, and, seeing nothing there, he cleared his throat.

When her eyes met his, he mustered up a smile and leaned in closer, so the other two people at the table wouldn't hear. Not that they were paying their younger siblings any mind.

"Are you as bored as I am? I'm about to throw myself into the fountain." He said it jokingly, but part of him thought that it might not be a bad idea. It was better than going insane.

Something flickered over Reagan's face, but it wasn't a smile. It was more like wariness.

"What do you have in mind? I can't do anything to get in trouble. I have a scholarships to think about."

Dan hadn't expected that reply, but he was quick to combat it. Shrugging, he replied, "I dunno. But anything has to be better than _this."_ He motioned across the table, making a face.

Reagan's own facial expression changed to mirror his, then her eyes came back to his. This time though, a hint of a smile appeared. Lowering her voice to a tone that Dan could barely hear, she said, "You know what we should do? Just get up and walk away and see if they notice. If they don't and panic later, it will serve them right."

Suddenly, Reagan Holt didn't seem so demure after all. He liked the way she thought.

"Let's do it. Now would be a good time."

They both looked over to see their siblings staring at each other, not seeming to notice anything else. Amy even _giggled._

 _Gag a maggot._

Surprisingly graceful, Reagan eased up and coughed. There was no reaction from the two seated beside her. Without another noise, the brunette turned and walked across the plaza, turning and impatiently motioning for Dan to join her.

His spirits already lifting, Dan followed, not even bothering to look back.

* * *

As soon as they cleared the plaza, disappearing behind the shops he had pointed out earlier, Dan turned to Reagan. "So now what?" He asked.

She shrugged, glancing around. "We could just walk and see what's over there," she inclined her head towards the busy street, "and stop if we see anything that looks like fun."

He nodded, and they headed down the sidewalk, which was just as packed with people as the square had been. "This city is busy," he stated off-handedly.

"It's the biggest one in the state," Reagan commented. "I have soccer games and kickboxing competitions here sometimes."

"Kickboxing?"

"Yes. I go to the Martial Arts Academy here in the city to practice that and my Jiu-Jitsu too."

She said this casually, like it was no big deal, but Dan was impressed.

"Wow. Can you show me some moves sometimes? I've wanted to get into a class or something, but it seems like something always comes up. And of course, Amy is always doing training for Cahill stuff."

"Sure."

Dan started to inquire further about the moves she knew, but he spotted an ad on the back of a bus seat. "Hey, what's that for? It looks pretty sweet."

Reagan peered at the sign, then her gaze brightened. "Oh, that's the ice skating rink that's here. It's really cool. Olympic sized too."

"Let's go there!"

Reagan was already headed for the bench. Dan had to jog to keep up, but he didn't mind. "Where are we going?"

"To the rink of course. It's too long to walk there but I bet one of the buses that stop here can take us. You have money with you right?"

"Yep." Dan patted his pockets. "I'm loaded."

"Good. It's pretty pricey but super fun."

It didn't take them long to find a bus that would take them to the famous Pettit National Ice Center, and then they were on their way.

 _I'm so glad I went with my instinct and said something to Reagan back at the plaza. This is going to be a blast._

* * *

A blast was an understatement. In fact, Dan didn't even have a word in his vocabulary to capture this experience.

The first thing that he noticed when walking in was that the rink was more like a stadium, that's how huge it was. There were two public rinks, tons of food, and also tons of people, but not so many where you couldn't breathe.

And Reagan was a really fun person to hang out with. Like for example, when Dan casually mentioned the size of the building, the brunette had told him some facts about it, such as how famous Olympians had trained here before. But, unlike what his sister would have done if _she_ had been here, Reagan didn't go on and prattle off tons of statistics, though she probably knew them. Instead, she mentioned how they should get in line for some snacks before renting their skates.

Dan had been impressed most of all by that statement, and the thought came to him, like it had a lot in the last little bit, _Reagan is just so cool. Wow. What other girl is this cool to hang with? It's like hanging out with a dude. Well kind of. At least the 'no drama, just fun' part._

Currently, they were about twenty minutes into skating and it seemed like the fun had only started.

"Show me how to do that trick again," he demanded. "That was awesome!"

Reagan obliged, doing the move all while telling him once more how to curve your leg to do it.

She must have been too caught up in the explanation though, because in the middle of it she toppled to the ice, and Dan wasn't close enough to catch her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, gliding to cover the space between them, but she was already getting up.

"Yes, just feeling like an idiot," she confessed, running a hand over her hair and then trying to shake the ice off of her clothes. Groaning, she added, "My hair is probably a _mess_ though."

Dan glanced over and thought that it looked the same to him as it did earlier, but decided to keep that to himself. Girls always got so offended with honesty.

But she surprised him by grinning. "Oh well, it's always a mess I guess."

"It looks great to me."

To his surprise, it looked like she blushed. Then her hands went to her ponytail, and she grimaced.

Before he could blink, she had taken it down and was shaking it out, letting her hair fall to her shoulders.

"Is that better?"

She asked the question casually, but for some reason, Dan's mouth went dry as he watched her.

"Um, yeah." He looked away quickly, not knowing what was wrong with him.

When he looked back, Reagan was starting to move forward, but stumbled a little. This time though, he was able to grasp her arm to steady her.

"Thanks," she made a face. "I guess I'm still off-balance from that fall. How embarrassing."

Dan didn't say anything, but she seemed not to expect a reply. That was good, because he felt something funny in his chest now. Almost like...attraction? Immediately he wanted to argue with himself, but had a feeling it would be pointless.

As they skated to the edge of the rink to get out of the way, he looked at her again, but this time _really_ looked at her.

Smooth skin, high cheekbones, blue eyes framed with dark lashes, how had he not paid attention to her before?

' _Probably because I was too annoyed with Amy and Hamilton to notice, and then too focused on getting away from them and having fun. But Reagan is_ _ **really**_ _pretty.'_

"Dan?"

Realizing that he was frowning at her, he shook his head abruptly. "Sorry, blanked out there for a second. What's up?"

She was pointing to the clock on the wall. "I asked if maybe we should start heading back."

"Yeah, okay." His response was automatic, his brain still trying to process this new information about the girl in front of him.

It was kind of weird to feel this way about her, so suddenly too. But he wasn't opposed to it. Not at all. A new goal sprung in his mind - _find out if she likes me too, or if having feelings for her are even possible._

He didn't really know what to do though to find that out, he didn't even know if she had a boyfriend, and had no idea how to bring _that_ one up. But there were other important things to inquire about out too.

"Do you like video games?" He asked, turning to her suddenly, once had turned their skates in and had started to walk towards the exit.

For some reason he had to know about this one. Not that it was necessarily a deal-breaker, but his last girlfriend _hated_ them and it was always a source of fighting between them.

Reagan wrinkled her nose. "They're okay. I like to play them sometimes, but normally I go for the sport games, and then it makes me want to actually go outside and play." Her face brightened though, and her eyes took on a sparkle. "I do love the new Fallout game though. I could play that for hours."

"Really?" Dan tried to hide his excitement. That was one of his _favorite_ games right now.

Reagan's face fell, "Yeah, but my parents hate video games. They want us to be active all of the time. So I have to be careful to avoid a lecture."

"You should come visit me and Amy." The words slipped out before he could stop them. "We could play all day and wouldn't have to hear about it."

Then he stopped to consider. "Well, Amy might say something. But she wouldn't lecture too much."

He looked at her, hoping that she would agree. Though his heartbeat picked up at the thought of her staying in his _house_ , all of a sudden he wanted her to say yes more than anything.

But she bit her lip and looked away. "Maybe," she finally said. "I'm just so busy right now, with all of the sports I'm involved in."

Trying not to appear as disappointed as he felt, he replied, "Oh okay. But anytime you want to get away you can come. It gets boring sometimes."

He hadn't meant for _that_ to slip out either. What was it about her that caused him to share private things like that? He was just getting to know her.

"I thought you said you were busy a lot of the time?"

Dan hesitated, not sure how much else he wanted to share with her, but then he looked over. She looked genuinely interested, and he felt like he could trust her.

"Okay, so I'm telling you this because you seem like you can keep things to yourself."

She nodded, but frowned at him, a hint of concern filling her eyes. It made him want to tell her even more.

"I don't have many friends. Probably because I get in too much trouble with my pranking. Or people just sense the 'Cahill' in me, but it gets boring by myself."

She started to speak but he quickly added, "I have Amy, of course, and a couple of friends, so it's not too bad."

"I get it," Reagan said, and opened her mouth as if to say something else. But she shut it, staring instead at a vendor on the sidewalk, right outside of the arena. When she looked back at Dan, her face had cleared. "I won't tell anyone. And I promise to visit as soon as I get the chance."

He nodded, not sure what to say now. He wanted to ask her what she had been about to say, but he kept quiet, not wanting to be nosy. Instead, he asked, "Want to get some ice cream? I'm famished."

"After all of those snacks? You know those aren't good for your body right?"

He gaped at her, then caught the twinkle in her eyes. "Whatever," he said with a grin, "We're on vacation right now. C'mon, my treat."

* * *

It was funny how you could be having such a fun time, only to be brought down in moments. Reagan stared at her ice cream, mindlessly picking through the toppings with her spoon.

"Do you not like cherries?"

Dan's voice brought her back to reality. "Uh, yeah I do," she answered, flushing a little and hoping that he wouldn't notice. Keeping her head bent over her bowl, she swiftly brought the spoon to her mouth, needing a distraction.

At first, hanging out with Dan had been fun. A blast, actually, especially after resigning herself to a boring day watching her brother and Amy hang all over each other.

But now, she felt awkward and uncomfortable. It wasn't his fault though, he was just acting, well, like _Dan._

 _He's so easy to hang out with. I feel like I can be myself and not have to feel weird about being so athletic because he_ _ **knows**_ _about the Cahill stuff. I don't have to act girly. But the trouble is, now he doesn't see me like a girl._

It was always her problem with guys. She had only gone out on a few dates - probably due to how intimidating she was for a female - and none of them had gone anywhere. She didn't necessarily _blame_ the guys she dated, it wasn't their fault Reagan was so tough. But a lot of times, she felt like an outsider at school. Madison was in the same boat as she was, yet it didn't seem to bother her blonde-headed sister, _or_ stop her from going out on dates.

 _Out of the two of us, she's always gotten more attention from guys, and it's never bothered me before. But this is different. I think I really,_ _ **really**_ _like Dan._

Chewing on her lip, she sneaked a glance at him. He was concentrating on his triple-dip cone, and she took the opportunity to study him: blonde, unkempt hair that always seemed to get into his eyes, a grin that lit up his whole face, a personality that others only wished they had. And he was real, down to earth.

Her mind went to the conversation that had just taken place between them. Somehow, Reagan got the impression that Dan didn't just open up like he had back there. And that fact made her feel good at first, until realization hit her on the way here.

 _It's because he sees you as a friend. Or 'one of the guys', just like at my school._

The thought hurt, but she should have expected it. It was always like this, and yet Reagan never did allow herself to be tempted to change who she was, even for acceptance. If she never dated again, at least she wasn't pretending to be something she wasn't.

"Are you done with that?"

She looked up to see Dan gesturing to her empty ice cream bowl.

"Yeah. Are you ready to go?"

"Nah, I was just going to throw it away for you," he said, flashing her the grin that made her heart drop to what seemed like her toes. He did so, taking both his and her stuff over to the trashcan, and the move made her feel special. Like a _girl._

 _Stop being silly. So he's nice, that doesn't mean anything._

Smiling at him once he returned, partly to get her mind back on track and partly so she wouldn't appear as confused as she felt, she started to speak. Only she was cut off by her ringtone. Her eyes went to her pocket, then to Dan, and saw that he was wearing the same expression as her.

"Hamilton?"

"Probably."

She pulled out her phone and sure enough, her brother's name was displayed on the screen.

Clearing her throat, she answered with a light, "Hello?"

"Reagan! Where are you? Is Dan with you?"

It was funny how frantic his voice sounded, as if he and Amy had just figured out that their younger siblings were gone.

"Yes he's here," she said. "We're eating ice cream. What's up?"

"What's up?" He echoed. "You disappeared without a word!"

Reagan barely held back her irritation. "We've been gone for nearly an hour and you're just now calling? Besides, you wouldn't have heard us even if we would have said something to you!"

A sigh came across the line, before Hamilton admitted, "You're right. Sorry."

"It's fine," Reagan said, and she found that it really was. Hanging out with Dan - even with all of her mixed up emotions - had ending up being better than sitting at the plaza. "We're heading your way now."

Dan, hearing her words, stood and then walked over to pull out her chair. The move surprised her, but being on the phone thankfully gave her an excuse to not react awkwardly to it.

They didn't speak much as they walked the remaining three blocks back to the plaza, but that was fine with her. It gave her time to give herself a pep talk, and by the time they reached their siblings, she felt normal again.

Though they were given disapproving looks by both their siblings, neither said anything to them about leaving without telling them.

Instead, Amy asked, "Did you two have fun? Ham and I just stayed here and walked around a bit just now. It's so nice here!"

"Yes we went to the ice skating rink and then got ice cream," Reagan answered for them.

Dan added though, "Reagan taught me some really cool skating tricks. I can't wait to try them out at our rink at home. My friends are going to be so jealous!"

They all laughed at this, but Hamilton spoke up and agreed. "My sister is amazing at stuff like that. Aren't you Reag?"

Then he pulled her into a side hug and playfully rumpled her hair. She grinned up at him, but brushed his words off. Being a Thomas was something that she had been born into. Now if she was a pro at inventing or singing or even art _that_ would be something.

"She really is," Dan was saying as he turned to Amy. "Reagan might come visit us on one of her breaks. That's okay, right? But we aren't doing any Cahill training. We're videogame binging."

Amy looked a little thrown-off, but shrugged and turned back to the Holts with a grin. "Sure. You can bring your brother too, and even Madison. It would be fun!"

It was clear from Dan's expression that Amy's agreement hadn't been what he was going after, but he nodded.

Then the goodbyes came, and Reagan decided to turn and walk away a few steps to give her brother and Amy privacy, and saw Dan following her lead.

In fact, he came right over to her and pulled her into a hug. She was so startled that she didn't return it at first, but quickly snapped-to just when he was pulling back.

"It was great hanging out with you Reagan," Dan stated once he released her, sincerity radiating in his voice. "I might not have survived without you, in fact."

His words made her feel warm on the inside, though she knew what he really meant.

"I feel the same way."

They both glanced over at their siblings, who were kissing each other like it was their last time to see one another. Reagan couldn't help but wince, and saw Dan doing it at the exact same time. Then he caught her gaze, and they both burst into laughter.

"Okay, if I visit I'm definitely going to try to come by myself. I don't know if I can handle any more of that."

"If?"

Reagan halted, looking at Dan's frowning face.

"When," she amended, and was rewarded with his huge smile.

"Reagan, are you ready?" Hamilton called.

"Yes," she answered quickly, glad for a way to leave without things getting weird. Glancing at Dan again, she lifted her chin and said, "Later," before jogging over to join her brother.

She briefly hugged Amy and then she and Hamilton were off, walking towards the car. As tempted as it was to look back, she resisted.

"This was such a great afternoon," Hamilton said dreamily, his face matching his tone.

"Yeah," Reagan agreed quietly, thinking again over the day and all of the moments that had made her heart soar. "It was."

It was a good thing that her brother was in la-la-land, because otherwise he might have picked up on her feelings. But he continued to rattle on about the day, while Reagan got lost in her thoughts.

She was glad she came and all, but now she had some major 'getting over Dan Cahill' to do. Sighing as she climbed into the car, she wondered just _how_ in the world she would manage to do that.

Maybe some Olympic-like goals would help her.

 _Maybe._

* * *

 **It would be cruel to leave them hanging wouldn't it? Good thing I'm planning a part 2 ;)**

 **And it's mostly written so look for it next week!**

 **Oh, and concerning the hug….probably OCC for Dan but I DON'T CARE! It was too cute to NOT write in. :D**


	14. Boredom & Butterflies Pt 2 (Dan-Reagan)

**Warning: This is sort of long for me - almost 6,000 words. I almost split it, but decided that I couldn't wait haha**

 **Here it is, part two of the Dan/Reagan shot! ;)**

* * *

"You really are excited."

Once again, Dan found himself seated next to his sister, trekking their way through another state. But this time, he wasn't in a slump.

Turning his green eyes onto his sister, he flashed her a 'huh' look.

Amy pursed her lips. "You're bouncing in the seat. It's annoying."

 _Deal with it,_ he thought, but out loud he said, "I'm just excited about this party. I bet out of all of us, Jonah is the best at throwing them."

He was referring to the gathering that was about to take place at Jonah's house in California. Their celebrity cousin had invited all of the Cahill cousins out to his place for a New Year's Eve bash, and most all of those invited were supposed to attend.

Dan was a little surprised that he didn't choose to hang out with other celebrities, but Amy had informed him that Jonah wanted some 'cuz time' and this was one of the only times his schedule was clear.

It didn't matter though, in the end. Dan couldn't _wait_ to see his cousins again.

 _And Reagan._

Since the last time he saw her, that day in Wisconsin, she hadn't left his mind. While she hadn't found time to visit due to her busy schedule - though Dan felt a little suspicious about that one - they had texted non-stop. One night, he had even gathered enough courage to video-call her. Granted, it had been crashed by Madison, Hamilton, and even Arnold, but it had been fun.

Still, he had this feeling that something wasn't right there, and he had been looking forward to seeing her in person so he could try to figure it out.

"He probably is," Amy agreed, looking out the window again at the rolling lawns of Jonah's neighborhood, though Dan wasn't sure how much she would be able to see, due to the heavy fog outside. "I can't wait to see everyone."

"Yep. And the best thing is, the Kabras won't be there." Dan let out a contented sigh. "They would only whine and bash the entire party anyways."

"Dan! That's not very nice."

But he thought that Amy wanted to agree with him. Choosing to keep his mouth shut instead of pointing that fact out, he traced a stick figure on the window and then an asteroid falling from the sky, hovering above the figure's head. He heard a sigh from behind him but ignored it, until his sister said, "You are so immature sometimes."

Again, he didn't say anything, but thought over her words. It was true that he still had his 'moments', but he couldn't help but be fun. Was that so wrong?

 _Maybe that's why Reagan has been drawing back from you. Maybe she thinks the same thing._

Dan shook himself, impatiently pulling back from the window and checking the time again on his phone. Thoughts like that were stupid. Of course that wasn't the reason why. Maybe she just felt awkward over the phone. A lot of people were like that, and then just fine in person. Or like she kept telling him, she was just busy.

He guessed he would find out soon though, because the car turned into a long driveway, leading up to an even longer, and _larger_ house. Though Dan was used to being around wealth, the mansion in front of him was impressive.

This was going to be fun. And when he found his partner in crime, it would be even better.

* * *

"Yo, wassup!" the cheerful voice of Jonah Wizard greeted them at the huge, glass door only seconds later.

"Hey dude." Dan nodded quickly, trying to peer around him.

But the rapper hardly seemed to notice, holding out his fist for a fist bump, then doing the same to Amy.

"You two ready for some 'Wizard' holidaying?" he asked, not catching Dan's impatience. "We got the food, the music, the entertainment, we even got" he leaned even closer and said in a low tone, "the 'good stuff', if you know what I mean."

"Good stuff?" Alarm rang through Amy's voice. "Jonah! We're all underage except for-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jonah's hands came up in a defensive gesture, his dark eyes widening. "That's totally not what I meant, yo. I meant the exclusive Wizard party games. My fav is called 'Pin the Snapback on the Gangsta'. A real hit with the ladies."

The duo stared at him as he added, "It's legit."

"If you say so," Dan said. "Now, can we come in?"

"Oh yeah, sure."

With what he hoped was a polite smile, Dan moved past him, not bothering to see if Amy was following him or not. Normally he was up for chilling with his celebrity cousin. But now, all he wanted to do was to find a certain brunette with blue eyes and a crooked smile.

Fate was against him though, because instead, he met Ned Starling immediately after exiting the entryway.

"Dan! You're just in time to check out my new invention!"

He started to protest, but Ned's next words propelled him forward. "It's a way you can eat snacks while still playing Need for Speed. You know, the version where you can't pause the game?"

 _Wow, trust the Starlings to come up with something cool like that._

Besides, as they went down the hall, Ned added, "Everyone's in the game room trying it out now."

 _Everyone?_

"Count me in."

* * *

The first thing Dan noticed when he walked into the large room filled with video game consoles (besides the feeling of being in heaven) was the crowd gathered in the corner, _and_ the amount of noise surrounding him.

As he and Ned approached, only a couple glanced over, threw him a wave, then turned back to the game.

That was fine though, it gave him time to pick Reagan out.

She was standing beside her twin, Madison, watching as Hamilton and Ted competed against one another. Dan didn't move towards them, waiting to see if she noticed him first.

Ironically, it was the blonde-haired sister that did.

"Hi Dan! You've got to come check this out!" she called out.

"Hey Madison," he replied, hoping that Reagan would turn around now.

No such luck. She didn't even move.

 _What's going on? I figured she would at least look a_ _ **little**_ _happy to see me._

Dan shoved down his disappointment though, and decided to act like everything was normal. The last thing he wanted was for the small group to pick up on his confusion. So, while everyone was still focused on the game, he snuck up behind the brunette that was looking at the screen and grabbed her shoulders.

"Guess who?" He quipped, grinning at her jump.

Holding his breath, he waited for her response. Reagan shrugged him off, but when she turned she smiled.

"Oh, hey!" She said, and he barely contained his relief at her greeting. So she _hadn't_ been ignoring him.

"Hey," he said, then licked his lips, not sure what else to say.

How was it so awkward all of a sudden, standing in front of her? _This_ stuff is why he hated friendships that had feelings involved. You never knew where you stood or what to say.

But he couldn't pull his gaze away from her eyes, eyes that were bluer than he remembered. In fact, she was prettier than he remembered too.

"You're next Dan," Ned's voice piped into his thoughts.

"What for?" Dan asked, managing to look at the Starling boy but not sure why he was even addressing him.

"Uh, the game? And our super-cool Dual-Action Survival Apparatus?"

"Oh right." Dan snapped out of his stupor, feeling like an idiot. Trying to cover it up, he hightailed to the console and said, "Let me at it. This is my kind of invention."

"Just so everyone knows," Sinead spoke up for the first time since Dan had entered the room, "I'm not the one who named this mechanism."

Ned jumped in, "Hey, I thought Ted did pretty well."

An annoyed look crossed Sinead's face as she said, "Well next time you should ask me. I'm good at naming inventions. If you recall-"

"Okay, okay," Ted held up his hands as he turned over the control to Dan, who tuned out the rest of what was said between the siblings.

In his opinion, he was around enough squabbling just living with his sister, so he allowed himself to get lost in the game, intent on simultaneously eating Doritos while mastering the racing track.

He was so lost he didn't hear _anything_ , that is, until Reagan's voice said, "Okay, well I'm going to go find Amy."

 _Wait, we've barely gotten to talk,_ he wanted to protest. Besides, he was doing _good_ here and wasn't ashamed to admit he wanted to show off.

While he was debating on whether or not to voice anything, Jonah's voice came from the doorway, "Hey, she's right here Reagan. And Nellie just got here too. Now we can get this party started!"

Dan reluctantly put down the controller and lifted the invention off of him, just as Jonah pulled a couple of items from behind him and asked. "Who's ready for some Wized up pre-party games?"

The cousins all frowned and grouped around the items, which Dan could see was a miniature portrait of Jonah, a blindfold, and (just like the star had stated outside), multiple miniature snapbacks made out of Velcro.

"What is this?" Hamilton asked, while simultaneously hugging Amy hello.

"Pin the Snapback on the Gangsta!" Jonah announced proudly.

There was a long pause, and no one seemed sure of how to react, blinking and exchanging glances with each other.

It was Sinead who broke the silence. "Pin the Snapback on the Gangsta?" she quoted. "Are you serious?"

Jonah looked at her, not seeming to be offended by the look of disdain on her face. "Yep. You can even go first."

He followed his statement with a wink, and Dan braced himself for the reaction.

But Sinead only rolled her eyes and replied, "I'll pass. I'm better at making sure everyone follows the rules. In fact, if everyone could get into a single file line, we'll get started."

At that she clapped her hands together, and everyone - most of whom had started to complain about the game - promptly followed her directions, though it looked like some of the cousins would rather not.

"Whoa," Jonah looked at the neat, quiet line, then back at the redhead. "If you ever want to go into the career field of being a security guard at one of my shows, the job is yours."

Sinead didn't reply, and Dan wasn't sure, but it looked like she was blushing. But he shook his head quickly, looked again, and figured that he must have imagined it. The Starling girl was already explaining the rules, straight-faced, though Jonah kept jumping in with 'alterations'.

Finally, after Sinead threatened to use her newly made invention 'Pin the Duct Tape on the Rapper' if he didn't stop butting in, the game was underway.

Dan had to admit it wasn't the most _fun_ game that existed, but he was proud of himself for making sure he stood in line next to Reagan. He really wanted to talk to her.

"Hey so when are you going to come visit me and Amy?" He asked, cutting straight to the point.

Reagan's hands went to her hair, and he let his eyes linger on the straight, smooth locks for a second.

 _I wonder if her hair is as soft as it looks,_ he thought, but made himself focus on her words.

"I will soon, I promise," she said apologetically. "I've just been really busy with all of my games. It should slow down for a couple of months though, until all my spring stuff hits."

She looked sincere, so he let himself relax. Maybe she _was_ just busy? And seeing someone in person after a while could be sort of awkward, so he let that one slide too.

"Great, I can't wait. I already have stuff planned."

"You do?"

"Of course," he shot her a 'duh' look, "video-game binging, remember?"

It worked, he got a smile out of her, and he couldn't help but return it.

Just as he was starting to feel comfortable though, and ready to approach the topic of perhaps 'hanging out alone' after this game, Sinead's voice broke in, "Hey, it's your turn Dan."

Forcing himself to not make a face, he took his turn, managed to actually get his snapback close to the target - the pretend Jonah's head.

After that, he watched Reagan easily put _hers_ right on the intended target, and laughed as her sister protested that she had to have cheated.

"Holt's don't cheat!" she laughed as she said the words, the action lighting up her face.

"But Cahill's do," Nellie jumped in. Then, at everyone's frowns, she added, "I know, I know, this group doesn't."

"Well, with the Kabra's absent…" Dan mumbled.

Reagan must have heard him though - having just took her place back beside him - because she snickered.

"Hey, so um-" he cleared his throat, focusing on his sister who was failing miserably at pinning her own snapback on the board, "do you want to ditch everyone and go hang out somewhere else?"

There was a short pause before Reagan answered. "Won't everyone notice? I don't really want to be on the end of Sinead's annoyance or any teasing."

"Teasing?"

He chanced a glance at her, only to see that her eyes were averted too. Reagan didn't elaborate, just kept frowning at the game going on in front of them.

"I guess you're right," he finally said, trying to hide his disappointment. "It's better to hang out with the group."

While he wasn't expecting her to protest, seeing the relief on her face was painful. Why was she acting like this? Had she changed her mind about being friends? Dan still liked her and everything, but he was willing to wait for anything else and just be friends if she wasn't ready. Only the vibes she was already giving off - without him even bringing anything like that up - screamed 'space.' But why? It wasn't like he was smothering her.

Trying to shake off the feeling of rejection, he turned and asked Ned a question about the Dual-Action device he had just used. Maybe distracting himself would work.

* * *

Reagan peeked at Dan again, feeling bad over what she had just said.

It was messed up of her, she knew, to act standoffish like this. It was just _hard_ to be around him again.

For the past few months, instead of her feelings diminishing like she thought they would with the distance, they had increased. Every phone call and text from Dan left her with her heart beating faster and a smile on her face. One time, after that single video call - she had even laid on her bed afterwards and replayed the conversation over and over.

If anyone in her family ever found out, she would _never_ live it down.

The funny thing was, none of them seemed to be suspicious of her friendship with Dan. They acted like it was normal for her to be in constant contact with him. She was relieved, but also a little sad. If they thought it was normal, chances were, Dan did too.

Maybe it _was_ wrong for her to act like this at this point, but Reagan didn't know what else to do in order to protect herself from being hurt.

"Okay, so Reagan's the winner. Time to collect your prize!" Jonah called out enthusiastically.

Eye rolls went around the room as he produced a year's supply of concert tickets to his shows, but the Holt accepted them graciously. Her famous cousin might be stuck on himself, but in her opinion, he wasn't as bad as he used to be and she could sense that he was sincerely trying to be friends with all of them.

"Thanks Jonah," she said. "Hopefully I can attend some of these."

He nodded understandingly. "Yo, I get that you're busy with your games. I heard you tell Dan. But hey, if ya need help getting to a show, my plane can come get you."

She blinked at the generous offer, but thanked him again.

"Okay," Nellie announced, "If the party is in only two hours, we've got to go get ready."

Reagan grimaced - she hated the process of dressing up - but reluctantly followed the older girl out the door, the others trailing behind her.

* * *

For the first twenty minutes, she had been able to be alone with her thoughts. But somehow, all of the girls ended up in _her_ room. It started with Madison wanting to borrow some jewelry, then Amy came in to find her, and then the other two shortly joined them.

While Madison got caught up with the rest in what to wear and how to do her hair, Reagan stared glumly out the window.

Here she was, about to attend a _party,_ getting a rare chance to dress up, but she couldn't even enjoy it.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She jerked her head over at Sinead's quiet question.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired," she lied, making a show of stretching out on the bed.

Nellie caught her movement and cleared her throat. "So Reagan, speaking of phone conversations…"

She gave the older girl a blank look in return, but inwardly felt nervous, _especially_ when all eyes turned on her.

Nellie waved her hand, "Dan? You guys talk all the time, don't you?"

"I guess," Reagan shrugged. She felt the smirks, even though she wasn't meeting anyone's gaze. Spotting her makeup out on the dresser, she quickly asked, "Hey Nellie, you'll do my makeup right? I kind of want something different."

It worked. Nellie's eyes brightened, and though Reagan felt a twinge of apprehension about her request, it had to be better than being grilled right? The subject moved on, and soon everyone was distracted by getting ready.

Everyone, except for her twin.

She could both sense and feel Madison studying her, but Reagan ignored and hoped that her sister would leave it alone, though she wasn't counting on it.

But much to her relief, her sister had a moment to quiz her once everyone left (minutes before they were expected downstairs) and she didn't take it.

 _I just have to make it through tonight, and I'll be fine._

* * *

Dan shifted his feet again and tried not to look at the door. He already felt like an idiot wearing this tux. Why this party had to be formal when it was just them, he had no idea.

"Man, the girls are taking forever!" Hamilton complained, like he just read Dan's mind.

 _They are. It's so annoying._

"Hey, they're females," Jonah said easily, acting like he dealt with them every day.

Which, come to think of it, he did.

The celebrity went on, gesturing towards the tables near the edge of the large room, "Yo we can go ahead and dive into the food, unless ya want to wait. There's no telling how long til the girls are here."

"Geez, someone's impatient," a voice came from the door.

It was Nellie, decked out in a shimmering gold dress that Dan personally thought would be more appropriate at a circus. But he kept these thoughts to himself.

His former Au Pair was followed by Amy and Sinead, but the Holt twins were nowhere in sight. Dan, upon seeing Hamilton approach his sister and taking in both of their expressions, decided that food _did_ sound like a good idea.

Beelining over in that direction and almost slipping on the freshly-polished floor, he thought that maybe he could just stay over to the side tonight, unless there was dancing. Parties could get awkward, but those two things Dan could do.

 _I'll just eat and learn new dance moves from Jonah, and then it will all be over and I can get out of this ridiculous outfit and go home tomorrow. Forget about girls and-_

But Ned's voice from behind him caught his attention, "Hey Madison, hey Reagan!"

Almost involuntary, he turned, bracing himself so that he wouldn't react.

He _almost_ didn't manage it, but he felt - as he took in Reagan in her light purple dress, silver heels, silver makeup, and general 'Reagan-ness' - that he pulled it off.

Anyways, he had time to get a grip, because no one seemed to notice his existence. The others were still in the doorway, Reagan and Madison having slipped by them to greet Ned. But it wasn't long before Madison's gaze caught his, and she said in a loud voice, "Hey Dan! Over here!"

He had no choice but to join them, but suddenly, all previous thoughts of 'forgetting' about girls had been tossed out the window.

"Hey. You two look pretty," he chanced a glance at Reagan as he said the words, and caught her hesitant smile at him.

Heart leaping over her reaction, he asked, "I was just about to check out the snacks. Do you guys want to join me?"

He included Ned in the glance, but noted that _his_ gaze was still on Madison. Interesting. But Dan didn't care, if it meant that he would decline. Much to his dismay though, Jonah chose that moment to walk over.

"Hello ladies. Looking good," he directed this at the girls, then announced to the entire room. "Who's ready for dancing? I've got the DJ here," he gestured to a guy sitting behind the booth that Dan hadn't even noticed yet, "and the tracks are lined up and ready to go."

"Oooh I love dancing!" Nellie gushed. "Let's get this party underway!"

Almost everyone went out onto the dance floor at that, with the exception of Ted and Sinead.

It was fun sure, but Dan was getting tired of trying to talk to Reagan or trying dance beside her, only to get interrupted by his sister or one of his cousins. But, after only twenty minutes into the party, a song with a slow beat came over the speakers, and Dan decided that it was now or never.

He was going to ask Reagan to dance with him.

 _She has to say yes. And maybe she will finally loosen up and talk to me,_ he told himself. _Just go over there and don't be weird about it._

So he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and made his way over to where she was now standing by the floor, talking to her sister. He almost made it, when one of the staff members walked into the room, holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

Jonah motioned for the DJ to turn off the music, and they all gathered around.

"Amy Cahill," the man said in a formal tone, handed the flowers to her, and then left.

A blush formed on his sister's cheeks as she took them and read the note. Of course, Hamilton was standing there with a grin on his face, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they were from him.

"Sorry, they were supposed to get here earlier, but…" the Holt trailed, but Amy handed the flowers to Sinead and pulled him into a hug, cutting off his apology.

"Thank you," Dan heard her murmur, and even _he_ had to smile.

"Oh, how romantic is that?"

They all blinked and looked over to see Sinead inspecting the flowers in her hand, and then grinning at the embracing couple.

 _Sinead actually thinks all of this is cute?_ Dan thought, and saw that everyone else was wearing the same astonished expressions.

" _You_ think flowers are romantic?" Jonah was the first to speak. The redhead darted her gaze to his, a defensive look already planted on her face when the rapper added, "Yo, good to know."

"And just _why_ is it 'good to know?' "she quoted back to him.

Jonah shrugged, "Hey I was just making an observation. Now, since that dance was already interrupted, we should play another game!"

* * *

Luckily, Jonah's game suggestion was vetoed, and after chowing down on some delicious food, almost everyone returned to the dance floor.

The bad part about there only being ten party guests - minus the DJ - was that Reagan was running out of places to hide. She could tell that Dan was trying to get her alone to talk to her, and again, she knew that she was being a brat about it, but it was already killing her to be so close to him.

 _Why couldn't I just be happy being friends?_ she wondered. _Why does it all have to be so complicated? Why isn't life as easy as a kickboxing match? Why- oh crap, Madison is looking at me again, where can I go...oh! Sinead!_

The auburn-haired girl was standing over by the DJ booth, staring in like she wanted to throw herself on the glass. _Or,_ change the track, Reagan couldn't tell which. Perfect.

She joined her cousin, and had been standing beside her for a couple of seconds, trying and failing to involve her in conversation, when Jonah approached them. She turned to smile at the rapper, but he was looking at Sinead, an almost uneasy look on his face.

"Uh, hey. Why aren't you dancing?" he asked her. When Sinead threw him a sharp look, he added, "I haven't seen you on the floor all night."

"I don't like to dance," she said, her voice tight.

Reagan didn't know what was going on, but she didn't care. Dan was looking over at them, so she subconsciously shifted closer to the Ekat, attempting to avoid his gaze.

"Aww you should. In fact, you should dance with me."

Reagan still wasn't really paying attention, but she did notice the shift in Sinead's tone as she stammered, "W-with you?" she cleared her throat, "You want to dance with _me_?"

"Yep. Come on, it'll be fun." Jonah promised her.

"Sorry," Reagan finally looked over to see Sinead wearing a panicked look. She was backing up too, away from both Jonah and Reagan, and the younger girl wanted to scream _'wait, don't leave me!'_ but Sinead was still talking, "I don't dance. Um, especially not, uh, at small parties."

Jonah blinked at her, "Uh, what?"

"Scientifically, small parties aren't good for dancing."

And then she let out another 'sorry', and whirled, almost running from the room. Both Reagan and the rejected celebrity stared after her, but then the latter shrugged and addressed the remaining girl. "Hey, do you want to dance instead?"

Reagan was about to turn him down too, simply because her head was spinning, when suddenly, her sister was at her side, a purposeful look on her face.

"Sure I'll dance with you!" Reagan said quickly, flashing Jonah a smile.

"Actually, I really need to talk to my sister," Madison interjected, "But I think Nellie needs a partner."

Before anything else could be said, Reagan found herself being hauled out the door, down the hall, and into an empty room.

Or, what she _thought_ was an empty room.

A certain someone was already there, pacing and talking to herself.

"You're going crazy, you're going crazy, you're going-" Sinead halted as she met their curious gazes.

Clearing her throat, the Ekat mumbled, "Sorry. l'm just going to go lie down or something. I think all the hip-hop music is getting to me."

They watched her go, then exchanged a glance.

"Looks like someone is in denial," Reagan couldn't help but comment, thinking back to the exchange she had just witnessed.

Her sister's snort made her look away again.

"She's not the only one."

Biting her lip, Reagan decided to try to play it off.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Um, hello? It's me standing here, your twin," Madison stated, and her sister could almost _feel_ her stare.

The blonde haired girl went on, "What's going on between you and Dan? You're acting super weird. So weird in fact, that I'm starting to feel bad for him. Aren't you supposed to be friends or something?"

"Yeah, we're friends-" Reagan started.

"Well you're not acting like it. You're avoiding him, and he has no idea why. I'm a _Holt_ and I noticed it, so you can bet everyone else has too. Now tell me what's going on? Do you not like him back?"

"Like him _back_?" She stared at Madison, unsure if she was really implying what Reagan thought she was.

Her sister rolled her eyes, "Yes, like him back. I thought you might, only you're acting like he has the plague. Is it because you don't want to turn him down?"

Reagan could only keep staring. For some reason, Madison was under the impression that _Dan_ had feelings for her.

A laugh came from her mouth, but she cut it off at her sister's sharp glance.

"Sorry," Reagan mumbled, "It's just that, you think Dan likes me? Like _that_?"

"Uh yes, he does. There's no 'thinking' about it."

Madison's voice rang with confidence, but Reagan shook her head. "It's not like that Madison. He definitely doesn't."

"Yes he does. Now stop being stupid and-"

"Madison, listen to me," she tried to make her voice firm, her sister's words making her even more upset. "He doesn't. Now drop the subject."

"No." Her sister looked defiantly back at her. "I want to know why-"

"He sees me as a guy, that's why!" Reagan finally burst out. "Last time, when we hung out, he kept saying how 'cool' I was. You don't say that about people you have feelings for."

"That's stupid-"

"No it's not. I'm not girly enough. Or graceful enough. Or-"

A hard punch on her arm halted her.

"Ow!" She complained, staring at her sister. The word was said mostly out of reflex, not pain, but she was annoyed all the same.

"You need to snap out of it." Madison stated, not even a hint of apology on her face. "The Reagan Holt I know would go for what she wants and not sit here and have self-doubts like this."

"That's not fair, this is different," Reagan argued. "This isn't a sport, or game, or…"

But she trailed at her sister's look.

"Listen to me sis. Dan obviously wants to talk to you, so stop avoiding him and go for it. You may never have this moment again."

"But what if he doesn't feel the same? And then our friendship is ruined?"

Madison shrugged. "Life is risky. Besides, you don't have to confess right now. But you're cheating yourself by not at least talking to him. Now quit acting like a whiny Lucian and get out there."

And then she promptly shoved her towards the door. Good thing Reagan's reflexes were good, she didn't even stumble as her sister's words sunk in.

Madison was right. It was time to be brave and face her fears. It was the 'Thomas' thing to do.

* * *

She spotted Dan the instant she re-entered the room. He was standing off by himself, picking at a button on his shirt, and looking as miserable as she had felt earlier.

Her stomach lurched. _Was Madison right? Does Dan like me? If so, he probably is regretting it now; I've been so stupid about the whole thing, he may not even want to talk to me anymore._

But her bravery didn't leave her at that thought, instead, it propelled her right over to him.

"Hey," she started, then halted, nerves hitting her. Dan eyed her warily, but didn't say anything.

"Um, I want to say that I'm sorry for acting so weird. I don't know what my deal's been. But it's not you, okay?"

It wasn't _technically_ a lie.

Dan's face brightened a little, and something that looked like a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Reagan went on, feeling better now, "I've just...I don't know…"

"Hey, it's fine. You don't have to explain," Dan cut it, "As long as you're positive that it wasn't me or something I said."

"Of course not!" she insisted, "It was all me. Trust me on this."

"Okay."

 _Now_ she was rewarded with his smile, and it made her feel all happy inside, all of the earlier pain lifting away.

They stood there for a few seconds, surveying the dance floor, when yet another slow song came on. Incidentally, it was one of her favorites, and she wondered briefly if Madison - who she had just seen by the DJ booth - had something to do with it.

"Will you dance with me?"

"D-dance? With you?" She asked, confounded.

Was that really Dan who had just spoken those words?

At his nod, she whispered, "But they're playing a slow song."

"I know." Dan's gaze was steady, his eyes bright. "I, well, I _like_ you Reagan."

"Like me?"

He sighed, looking away, a fact which she was glad over. It was hard to think when he was staring at her all intently.

"I'm not good with this stuff!" He suddenly blurted, making her jump. When he turned back, Reagan noted the frustration on his face as he went on, "I've liked you since that day in Milwaukee. I just didn't know how you felt. And I've been trying to hang out with you alone since I've been here but everyone keeps ruining it! And then I didn't think you liked me since you were acting funny, and-"

Her heart leapt, his words giving her courage, and she found her voice. "Dan."

She waited until he looked at her before she grinned and slugged him on the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I like you too, idiot."

He started to say something, but then his face froze. "Wait, you do? Really?"

Reagan couldn't help it, her brain turned into mush at the happy look that crossed his face. Clearing her throat in order to keep her dignity ( _especially_ when she felt Madison's stare boring into the side of her face), she stated, "Yes. Now, you said something about dancing?"

Dan didn't say anything else, but he didn't have to, his facial expression - a grin that made his eyes look even greener - saying it all.

And as they took their place on the floor, him wrapping his arms around her waist and her leaning her head on his shoulder, she happened to meet her sister's smug gaze.

' _Thank you',_ she tried to send her telepathically, and received a wink in return.

"I've wanted to dance with you all night," Dan whispered, "I know that sounds really sappy and stuff, but it's true."

It _did_ sound sappy, but Reagan didn't mind. "I've wanted to dance with you too," she replied, tracing the collar of his shirt with her finger.

"Just think," his voice held humor now, "If it hadn't been for that first day, when we were both bored out of our minds, none of this might have happened."

"It's crazy to think about," she agreed, then mentally added, _and if Madison hadn't confronted me, this might not have happened either._

No more words were exchanged between them. But as they danced, she let herself get swept away in the moment, pushed all 'what ifs' aside, and let the butterflies take over.

* * *

 **Sooooo…..there it is! If you don't mind, drop a review if you enjoyed reading it! (or even if you didn't lol)**

 **Oh, and at the start of this, I told myself that I** **could** **and** **would** **be able to write Jonah and Sinead in the same scenes WITHOUT my Jonead-loving self taking over. *Sigh* as you just read, my typing fingers had another idea. (It wasn't my fault!)**

 **But anyways, I** **may** **have to write a short follow-up piece about them…can't leave Jonah all rejected now, can we? ;)**

 **Later alligators!**


	15. Quickly Fading Boundaries (Jonead)

**Quickly Fading Boundaries**

* * *

There was only one thing that Sinead hated more than waking up with a headache, and that was waking up in a strange place, not knowing where she was.

As she laid there, trying to figure it out, she realized that she thinking between the most luxurious sheets she had ever slept in—sheets which probably had a thread count higher than her entire family's IQ scores put together.

 _Jonah's house._

Now it was coming back to her. Snorting, she looked around the equally luxurious room—a little too much for a guest room in her opinion—and debated on getting up or not. After disappearing midway through the party, she had promptly came back here and buried herself in working on one of her inventions - a high-tech encryption device that would assist the Ekats in completing one of their 'secret' projects.

Working on _that_ had been easy, a relief even, after what had happened last night.

 _Jonah wanted you to_ _ **dance**_ _with him. And you froze up, then gave the lousiest excuse ever instead of playing it cool. He probably thinks you're a complete idiot now._

And she cared. She, Sinead Starling, actually _cared_ what he thought about her. It was disconcerting. _And_ , a total waste of time.

There was no way that particular attraction could happen. It didn't matter that they had clicked during the game yesterday, that his eyes had lingered on _her_ more than anyone else when they entered, that he had made that remark about the flowers, then asked her to dance…

Groaning, she shook her head quickly in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Normally, mornings were the time when her mind was most sharp and instead of dwelling on unpleasantness, she should get some more work done. It had to be more productive than sitting and thinking of outlandish things.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, after a quick shower and more self-lectures, Sinead descended the stairs. Her plan of hiding behind her project had been thrown out the window by a text from Amy, who had informed her that she needed to be social.

' _You came here to hang out more, remember? And to forget about 'you know who'.'_

Knowing how her cousin could get and not wanting Amy to come up and physically drag her downstairs, she had relented.

Besides, there were only a few of the party guests left. Her brothers had to fly out early this morning, as did Madison and Reagan, and she thought that Dan decided to fly back with the Holt girls so he could watch one of their games.

That left Nellie, who was currently watching some cooking show, Amy and Hamilton, who were cuddled up on the couch and whispering softly to each other, and Jonah, who thankfully was nowhere in sight.

Sinead took all of this in within seconds, and thought maybe she could slip past them to the patio door, only Nellie glanced up and spotted her.

"Hey sleepyhead, have a seat. This show is the bomb! Jonah has like, thousands of cooking show DVDs. You've gotta check it out!"

Surveying the screen warily, Sinead obeyed. Cooking was okay, but it was more Nellie's thing. But it was better than trying to talk to Amy and Hamilton. Not that she blamed them—they rarely got time to see each other—but it was awkward being the third wheel.

After about fifteen minutes of sitting though, Sinead decided that she needed to walk or something. She felt like she needed the exercise. Plus, though she hated to admit it, she was curious about the grounds outside of the enormous mansion.

Mumbling a quick, "I'll be back," she escaped through the glass sliding door and into the cool morning air.

She felt the difference as soon as she stepped out. Immediately her body relaxed as she took in the peaceful surroundings.

At first, she was content to wander around the patio and the area nearest to the house. There were a bounty of trees, flowers, and uniquely designed fountains and sculptures—probably all created by Janus'. But something beyond the trees caught her eye. There, nestled between a large fountain and another grouping of trees, was a gazebo. It was beautiful, more so than any she had ever seen before, and Sinead found herself moving towards it.

The object was about forty yards away, so she didn't hear the music at first. Still, the melody that drifted to her ears was just as alluring at the gazebo it was coming from, and even though she suspected who it was, it didn't deter her.

Sure enough, she picked out Jonah's form before he noticed her there. It was good though, it gave her time to tell herself to act cool. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the two steps into the gazebo just as he looked up, halting mid-chord.

"Hey," she said quietly, "Uh, I was just walking around…"

He set the guitar to the side and grinned at her, "I don't mind. Sit down."

Sinead pursed her lips, looking around instead. There were white seats lining the sides of the gazebo, but she didn't really want to sit.

"I'm good. I was just curious about this. I saw it from the patio and"—another thought came to her, and she whipped her head back to look at him. "That song you were playing, was that 'Letting Go'? By Mayday Parade?"

"Yep. You like that band? They're one of my favorites."

"Really?" Sinead couldn't help but feel surprised. "Mine too."

 _Great. You let it slip that you have something in common. Good going Sinead,_ she told herself.

But Jonah didn't act weird about it, just stretched and looked out the window, "They're the bomb. They write their own music too, something I can respect."

Then he proceeded to rattle off some terms that she had heard before but never really cared to study out. But watching his enthusiasm, it was hard to keep back her smile.

She wondered too why he was talking to her so easily and acting like that awkward scene last night hadn't happened, but shrugged it off.

 _He probably already forgot about it. Though I'm sure he's not used to being turned down._

Then she mentally kicked herself. 'Turning down' was a strong phrase; he had only asked her to dance, something he had probably asked everyone else there to do already. It wasn't like he asked her to marry him.

When the conversation trailed, Sinead cleared her throat. "Well, I should let you get back to playing."

"I was done," Jonah said, taking away that excuse, "I'm glad you came out here."

Smiling awkwardly, she scrambled frantically for another excuse to leave when he spoke again.

"You should go out on a date with me."

Sinead paused and stared at him, _sure_ that she had misunderstood. But taking in his confident grin, she decided that she hadn't. Something fluttered inside of her, but she wrote it off to annoyance.

" _That's_ your idea of asking someone out?"

He shrugged, "You seem like a straightforward kind of girl."

"No."

He frowned in confusion. "No you're not straightforward or no you won't go out with me?"

"No I won't go out with you."

"Why not? I like you, you like me-"

"What?" her heart started beating even faster than it had been. "I don't like you!"

An eyebrow raise, a laugh, then he said, "Yes you do."

She started to speak, but he cut her off. "If you didn't, you wouldn't even be giving me the time of day right now."

As she gaped at him, Sinead completely forgot what she had been planning to say. Jonah still had his eyebrows raised and seemed to be waiting on her though, so she searched her brain for a proper response.

He must have gotten impatient, because he spoke again, just as she was about to tell him what she thought about his assumption.

"So, is seven okay?"

Again, the words flew out of her brain, and she could only blink at him as he calmly moved past her.

"Great, see ya then."

And then he exited the gazebo and walked away. Actually _walked_ away, like she had agreed or something.

Sinead debated going after him, but decided that she needed the space to clear her head. _Then_ she would go inform him that there was no way in heck she was going out on a date with him.

* * *

She ended up regretting her decision to wait.

Ten minutes later as she stepped back into the den, three pairs of eyes zeroed in on her. Amy's and Nellie's were excited, while Hamilton's were filled with amazement.

"What?" she frowned at them, hoping against all hopes that it wasn't over what she suspected.

"You're going out on a date tonight with Jonah?" It was Nellie who broke the silence, a grin widening her face as she continued speaking, "I almost didn't believe it at first, but I can totally see it now. He's artistic, you're inventive. He's a free spirit, you're cautious. He's easy-going, you're, uh-"

"I'm _not_ going out with him!" Sinead snapped, letting the frustration creep into her tone. "Did he tell you guys that?"

Hamilton turned to Amy, "See, I was right. I said there was no way Sinead agreed to it."

But Amy was frowning at her, not paying attention to her boyfriend. "Why did he tell us that then? He seemed really excited about it too, it was cute."

Pushing down the confusion over _that_ statement, Sinead said firmly, "He seems to think that I'm harboring secret feelings for him and that I'm just being stubborn about it. I'll go set him straight."

As she practically stormed out of the room, she heard Nellie mutter behind her, "Someone's in denial."

That burned her too, but she was too focused on finding a certain celebrity and knocking him out of his delusion to care.

"Oh hey, you can sit down," Jonah told her when she entered into the kitchen.

She frowned over at him, a little startled to see that he was actually _cooking_ , but she decided to skip that for now and took a seat in the nearest chair.

"Why are you telling people we're going out tonight?"

He paused for a beat, then continued stirring the pot on the stove. It smelled good, whatever it was, and Sinead's stomach growled. Thankfully though, it was too low for him to hear.

When he answered, his tone was even. "Are we not? I thought…"

He trailed, then looked off, away from her so she couldn't see his face fully. Sinead was surprised at his reaction, and bit her lip as she studied his posture. Then she shifted discreetly to look at his expression.

The arrogance and teasing was gone, instead, he seemed _dejected_? His face was expressionless, but his eyes gave off the impression that she had hurt his feelings.

Brushing the sudden uncomfortable feeling that came over her off, she said in a milder voice, "I never agreed to it. And you just walked off."

"Oh. Okay."

And that was all.

She waited, but he was silent, and kept his eyes pointedly away from hers.

"Are you seriously upset?" Sinead finally asked.

Not knowing _why_ she even cared, and why she didn't leave when the issue was obviously settled, she waited again for a response.

Nothing.

"Well then, since you're going to be a baby about it, I'm just going to leave."

"Look," he finally spoke, pulling the pan off the stove and facing her. "I get it, yo, you can't stand me. But for the record, I think you're totally cool. It's okay though, I don't wanna force ya into something you don't want to do."

Sinead eyed him, but he looked sincere—for what it was worth. Almost relieved that he had stopped being pushy, she prepared to leave, but his 'I get it, you can't stand me' bit made her pause first.

It was a painful confession, but she forced the words out, "I think you're um, cool too."

She should have stopped there, but for some _insane_ reason, she heard herself say, "But yeah, I'm not really ready to date right now. I just got out of a not so good relationship."

After saying that last line, she wanted to kick herself. Why had she even let that slip? She wasn't one to spill her personal business like that, but especially not to someone like _him_.

"Uh, skip that last part. I need to leave anyways."

Getting up abruptly from her seat, she was almost out the door when he said, "I have another idea."

She halted, figuring that she should at least hear him out.

"Why don't we do something tonight as friends? No pressure or anything, I promise."

When she looked back at him, there was a wry grin on his face. Meeting her gaze, he added, "Hey, I know how those relationships go. It sucks. But sometimes going out and having fun helps."

To her surprise, she actually found herself considering it. Was she crazy?

 _He said no pressure,_ she argued with her brain, _and it_ _ **could**_ _be fun. If not, then you can leave and forget that it ever happened._

"Okay."

Wait,had she just _agreed_? Before she could retract the word though, Jonah flashed her a dimpled grin.

"Great. You'll have fun; I'll make sure of that. Leave it to the Wiz."

Sinead couldn't help the eye roll at _that_ statement, but she found herself smiling too. "Um okay. Well, I have something to do upstairs…"

"Alright. Seven is still cool?"

At her nod—the only thing she felt she could manage without acting stupid—he grinned again.

Then, to her relief, he turned back to his cooking, giving her the perfect chance to escape.

* * *

At precisely 6:59, Sinead made her way downstairs, both excited and wary. The last couple of hours had been nerve-wracking as she wrestled with her emotions.

 _We're only hanging out casually, as friends,_ she would tell her brain, only to catch herself wondering where he would take her and what would happen. And then there was Amy and Nellie, who tried to give her advice on what to wear and were treating it like a date.

"It's not a date!" Sinead had finally told Nellie, exasperated, only to have the other girl roll her eyes and mumble "of course it's not. Now are you sure you want to wear jeans?"

The older girl was referring to Sinead's decision (which she obviously thought was a bad one) but the Ekat held her ground. _She_ thought the ensemble—black jeans, a white tunic, and flats—was perfect. Somehow, her normal khaki and polo shirt ensemble had seemed like too much, and besides, if it was something adventurous, it would be a poor choice.

Spotting Jonah already by the front door, she lifted her head to greet him but froze.

"This isn't a date, so why are you holding flowers in your hand?!"

She was prepared to elaborate further on the topic, but Jonah cut her off, his expression a picture of innocence. "These are yellow roses. They symbolize friendship. _Logically_ "—he stressed the word, and her eyes narrowed—"it makes perfect sense after our talk earlier."

"He has a point," Nellie stated, choosing that moment to walk through the entryway.

Sinead shot her a look, but the older girl was already starting up the stairs. "By the way, thanks for ditching me tonight. Amy and Hamilton are going out, you and Jonah are, so that leaves me. Try not to think of that while you're out having fun."

Her neon-colored head disappeared before Sinead could respond, but it probably didn't matter. Sighing, she turned to Jonah.

"Thank you for the _friendship_ flowers," she empathized. Seeing his face fall slightly, she added, "They're really pretty. My favorite color too."

Her heartbeat shouldn't have picked up at the way he lit up and flashed her a sincere smile, but it did all the same.

 _This is going to be hard. I've got to get a grip._

But it got harder once they got into the car and instantly fell into easy conversation, much like they had in the gazebo.

 _You can't let yourself fall for him. Remember that._

* * *

She forgot.

Four and a half hours later, as they returned to the house after a night of the promised fun, Sinead was once again wrestling with her emotions.

At first, it had been easy. She told herself that they were friends and settled it in her mind. But as the evening went on and she found herself relaxing and having more fun than she had in ages, her barriers fell down. From the 'chill restaurant' (Jonah's words) they had eaten at, to the musical theatre production that Sinead had loved, to the outdoor boardwalk they had strolled down near the beach, the entire evening had gone perfectly. She had genuinely enjoyed herself, _and_ the person's company she had been in.

Even now, she was laughing so hard that tears were in her eyes.

"Jonah, stop!" she snorted out. "I seriously don't think I can take one more impersonation."

"Yo but that's what he looked like. Admit it!"

She met his gleaming eyes and tried to give him a stern look, but in only a matter of seconds they dissolved into laughter again.

When they made it to the front room, their three cousins were staring at them like they had landed from another planet. Instead of their looks of confusion making it better though, it made it worse.

Finally, when her sides felt like they were about to burst, Sinead got a hold of herself and sank into a chair. Through the tears that still clung to her lashes, she saw Jonah do the same.

"I'm not even going to ask," Amy said dryly. "But it appears that you've had fun."

"I-yeah," Sinead answered, trying to catch her breath. Not looking at Jonah—in order to save her poor sides more pain—she added, "We didn't kill each other, as you can see."

"So the date was a success," Nellie's voice was casual, but Sinead caught the underlying teasing in it.

Stiffening, she said quickly, "It wasn't a date. I told you that already."

"But you have to admit"—Sinead's gaze flew to Jonah's, surprised that he was getting involved—"you had more fun with me than you would have staying here."

She narrowed her eyes at him, not liking the uncomfortable feeling that took over her body at his words. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Really?"

Now her chin lifted almost involuntarily at the challenge on his face. She stood, replying carefully, "I just agreed that I had fun when Amy asked. Can we leave it at that?"

 _Please say yes and drop it, because I'm not liking this ganging-up thing,_ she thought, noticing how Amy and Hamilton were leaning in now, joining Nellie with smirks on their faces like Sinead was about to announce her undying love.

When nothing was said for a few seconds, Sinead spoke again, simultaneously backing out of the room. "Well I think I'll go-"

"At least answer this question," Jonah interrupted. "How many times did you think about your ex tonight?"

Sinead stopped mid-stride, her breath catching in her throat.

"Ooh, that's a good measure," Nellie commented, sounding impressed.

Slowly, Sinead met Jonah's eyes. They were searching hers, and she could tell that though he wanted to give the others the impression he was teasing, he really wanted to know.

"Not once," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good."

A satisfied look fell over his face, but Sinead couldn't tell if it was smug or sincere. Then he moved closer, causing her to blurt out, "What are you doing?"

She almost winced at how alarmed the question sounded. Jonah grinned, but then cleared his throat and changed expressions, the serious look returning.

"Kissing you goodnight - friendship style."

Sinead stiffened at the word 'kissing', and didn't relax at the added words. Instead of moving away though, she stood stock-still as he approached.

"You don't gotta look so scared," he whispered, before kissing her cheek. It was just a brush against her skin, but it felt more intense at the same time—like a searing flame touching her.

"Goodnight and thanks again for going out with me, even if it _wasn't_ an official date."

"Uh, you're welcome," she said, blinking as he moved away just as quickly as he had approached. "Goodnight everyone."

And then she escaped.

She managed to keep calm until she was in her room with the door closed, but once the 'click' sounded, she immediately started kicking herself for her reaction.

 _You're such an_ _ **idiot.**_ _For agreeing to go out with him in the first place, and then_ _ **enjoying**_ _it, and the worst thing - letting him kiss you. Even if it was only on the cheek, it wasn't a good move for someone trying to resist any feelings or relationships._

She could still almost feel his lips there, the warmth lingering; making her feel _special_. Which was ridiculous.

Frantically, she looked around the room for something to occupy her thoughts with. She needed something, _anything_ , to get her mind off of all of the innuendos that had just been exchanged between her and Jonah.

' _It doesn't matter',_ she wanted to shout the words out, if only to make herself start believing it.

Finally, she was able to focus on her project for a bit and it was only hours later, once she was settled between the silk sheets, that her mind drifted back to the evening she had just experienced.

 _It was nice, I'll admit that much. But it can't happen. It just_ _ **can't**_ _._

And with that thought, her heart succumbed to her screaming brain, and she let herself fall deeper into the pool of denial she had created.

* * *

 **Don't you just hate open-ended endings? ;) haha but I kind of like it where it is sooooo…...your imagination will have to come up with a better conclusion.**

 **And I love writing 'Sinead denial'. Her character is such a deep and logical thinker that I tend to believe that she's able to convince herself of anything - even that she's NOT in love. Or like. Or whatever.**


End file.
